Texas State holds first COVID-19 vaccination clinic

Texas State University rolled out COVID-19 vaccinations for students, staff, and faculty with the first vaccination event March 12 in the LBJ Student Center (LBJSC) Grand Ballroom on the San Marcos Campus.

Texas State received COVID-19 vaccine doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine allocated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and Pfizer vaccine doses provided by Hays County as part of a collaboration between the university and county. A total of 574 people were vaccinated.

Eligibility for the vaccine was based the DSHS vaccine priority guidelines – for phase 1A and 1B. Members of the Bobcat community were contacted by e-mail and provided with a vaccination registration link. The Texas State Student Health Center is planning a second vaccine clinic for Tuesday, March 30, at the LBJSC. 

At the first vaccination clinic Texas State pre-med junior Clay Cooper, sporting a Medical Explorer T-shirt, was one of several volunteers helping out as the line snaked inside and outside the third floor of the LBJSC. A part-time pharmacy technician, Cooper  explained that the Medical Explorers are one of the newest student organizations on campus consisting of Health Profession majors.

He has already put in 280 hours of volunteer service related to COVID testing and now distribution of vaccines. “I stay pretty busy,” he said as he directed participants to follow the person in front, while staying socially distant. 

Roxanna Perez, a graduate student in Human Development and Family Science, was in line for the afternoon vaccination clinic at the LBJSC.  Perez said she works with pregnant high school students in several school districts. Perez said she was very happy to get the vaccine on campus and was surprised that she was able to get the COVID-19 vaccine so early in the year.  

Starting March 29, every adult in Texas will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the DSHS. 

More vaccination events, including on the Round Rock Campus, are planned.  The Student Health Center will send vaccination registration e-mails to students, staff and faculty prior to vaccination events. The Health Center will then send a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours to those who get a vaccination reservation.  For the latest information on vaccinations at Texas State, visit the Student Health Center COVID-19 Vaccination webpage.