Park University has announced via email that they will be holding a vaccination event for students on Friday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to noon in the east dome of Breckon Sports Center.

First Point Urgent Care is the clinic that Park is working with to administer the vaccine. This is the same clinic that was used when “back to school” COVID testing was done following Spring Break.

“We have a relationship with them and so they reached out,” said Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Jayme Uden, Ed.D. “It was a pleasant surprise to us.”

First Point Urgent Care has around 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine available to students. As of April 7, only about 150 students were signed up to receive the shot on Friday. Uden is encouraging students to read vaccine-related posts on the CDC website to educate themselves on the importance of vaccination and urges them to take this opportunity to get the shot.

Should a student decide on the morning of April 9 that they want the vaccine but did not fill out the sign-up form, Uden says they are still welcome to get the shot.

“I would have them show up earlier rather than later because we have to thaw out the vaccine and use it within a certain timeframe,” said Uden. “If they show up at the end, and we don’t have any thawed, it takes an hour to thaw out one; we’re not going to be able to do that for just one person,” he added.

The second dose needs to be administered within 28 days of the first. Friday, May 7, which is the last day of finals at Park, is when students will be able to get the second round of the Moderna vaccine. There is about a four-day grace period, Uden said. If a student will not be available on May 7, they should reach out to Uden to figure out a different day to go to the clinic to receive their second dose.