On April 6, New York state permitted residents over the age of 16 to make appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

With the increase in the number of people eligible for vaccination, as well the increase in the number of doses New York state has received recently, Fordham acquired doses of the vaccine on campus for students.

According to Marco Valera, vice president for administration and COVID-19 coordinator, Fordham has been ready to distribute vaccinations for four months.

The university had fridges ready to store the vaccines and the medical staff to administer them; however, it only recently received the actual doses.
The Fordham on-campus vaccination site is administering the Moderna vaccine, which requires a second dose four weeks after receiving the first.

As of April 13, the university had around 400 doses. According to Valera, the university must request vaccinations through a centralized distributor in New York City at the beginning of each week. It then hears back from the distributor about the exact amount of vaccines that will be allotted.

Because of this system, Fordham receives different amounts of doses each week, he explained. However, Valera said he is confident that the university will continue to receive more doses. Students are encouraged to book an appointment for a vaccination through VitalCheck.

According to an email sent out to the Fordham community by John Carroll on April 16, the university will be distributing the vaccine this week.
On Tuesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 22, the Rose Hill campus’s vaccination clinic will be open to students. The university has 150 doses of the vaccine to distribute each day. Lincoln Centers students can visit the clinic on their campus to receive a vaccine on Wednesday, April 21.

Some Fordham students have already taken advantage of the new on-campus vaccination clinics in the past several weeks.

“Getting the vaccine on campus was very easy, and the staff was very accommodating,” said Malvi Patel, FCRH ’24, a student who received the COVID-19 vaccination on campus. “The line was short and everyone was socially distanced nicely. It was an efficient and simple way to get the vaccine.”

In addition to providing vaccines on campus, the university has worked with Doctor Urgent Medical Care to administer the vaccine. Doctor Urgent Medical Care is located at 538 E. Fordham Road and is administering the Moderna vaccine by appointment and walk-in.

Although they are an off-campus distributor, Fordham has worked with the clinic to make their hours more accessible to students. The clinic is currently distributing the COVID-19 vaccination from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

Fordham announced on April 16 in an email from Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university, that COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandatory for undergraduate students to return to campus in the fall.

In the email, McShane justifies this decision by stating that this requirement is “to provide a COVID-safe environment in which our students, faculty, and staff can pursue our mission; and to help protect the health and safety of our off-campus neighbors.”

Although the university is now offering vaccinations on campus, Valera urged all students to get the vaccination any way they can, even if it is through an off-campus provider.

Students and New York City residents can use the NYC vaccine finder to book off-campus appointments.