MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University will resume administration of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine based on the recent recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
“As we look at the impact of the COVID-19 vaccines in real-world situations, they have been proven safe and effective, and severe adverse reactions are extremely rare,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, vice president and executive dean of WVU Health Sciences and West Virginia’s coronavirus czar. “Young people are far more likely to get the COVID-19 variants, and the vaccines are highly effective at reducing severe complications which include people being hospitalized, in the ICU, on a ventilator or dying. We really want to call on families, on parents and on our young people to please choose to get vaccinated. It will allow you to safely resume some of the daily activities and interactions that you’ve been missing out on.”
WVU will host a vaccine clinic from 1-4 p.m. Friday at the Student Rec Center in the upper gym. Anyone interested in receiving a Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine may walk-in on a first-come, first-served basis. Both first and second doses will be offered for Pfizer and Moderna. Those who received their Pfizer first dose April 20 will not be permitted to receive their second dose May 7, as it is before the 21-day required waiting period.
As the university approaches the last day of the spring semester Saturday and plans for commencement ceremonies May 15-16, Dr. Carmen Burrell, medical director of Urgent Care and Student Health Services, urges students, faculty, staff and families to remain vigilant.
“The university continues to recommend against nonessential travel, especially if unvaccinated. If you are traveling and not vaccinated, it’s especially important to continue following all precautions including wearing masks, avoiding crowds and staying physical distanced of at least 6 feet. If you are not vaccinated, the CDC recommends against international travel and encourages testing 3 to 5 days after returning or if any symptoms develop,” Burrell said.
WVU has partnered with the Monongalia Health Department to offer community testing on campus throughout the summer. Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and Fridays at the Student Rec Center in classroom G-44, off of the lower gym. Students or employees who may require a test outside of these hours of operation may call WVU Medicine Student Health at 304-285-7200 to schedule a test.
The university will also continue to partner with the state to offer COVID-19 vaccines on campus throughout the summer.
As a result, WVU’s COVID-19 testing dashboard (Morgantown, Beckley and Keyser) will transition from campus-specific results to link to the daily reporting data from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources beginning May 10.
Tweet @DominionPostWV
