UAB has joined the White House, U.S. Department of Education and colleges and universities across the country to help end the pandemic by encouraging vaccines among students.

A UAB nurse prepares to vaccinate a student against COVID-19. (Andrea Reiber / UAB)

The White House COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge is a commitment to taking three key actions to help get campus communities vaccinated: engaging every student, faculty and staff member; organizing their college communities; and delivering vaccine access for all.

“It is a priority for our campus to be vaccinated so that we can end the pandemic and return to as much of a sense of normal as possible,” said John Jones III, Ph.D., vice president of UAB Student Affairs. “Joining this initiative shows our continued commitment to the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, patients and other visitors to UAB’s campus.”

According to White House news release, President Joe Biden wants as many Americans as possible to get vaccinated. Doing so is critical to saving lives and helping the nation return to normal.

UAB is fulfilling the challenge and its three key commitments by continuing to engage and offer the vaccine to those who qualify, including patients, faculty, staff and students. Many UAB students have shared their commitment by getting vaccinated on social media, particularly student testimonials shared on UAB’s Instagram Reels. Key initiatives around student vaccines include pop-up vaccine clinics and vaccine appointments through UAB Student Health Services.

About the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge

While a significant portion of older generations have received the shot, younger Americans lag behind. Ensuring that young people join their parents and grandparents and get vaccinated will not only keep them safe, but also protect their families and communities by reducing the risk of giving the virus to someone else.

The effort will build on a program announced by Biden on May 11 that matches certain high-enrollment community colleges with partners in the federal pharmacy program to provide vaccination opportunities to students and their communities.

The Challenge also comes on the heels of federal efforts announced in early May that make it easier and more accessible for Americans to get vaccinated through an increase in walk-in vaccinations at local pharmacies; support for smaller pop-up vaccination clinics and mobile units; providing aid for community-based organizations to hire the staff needed to increase vaccine access; and investing in education efforts about the vaccine in underserved communities. The efforts also include state and local vaccine outreach initiatives, as well as testing and mitigation, in rural communities; and launching a plan to reach newly eligible children ages 12-15.

In looking ahead to July 4, Biden said, “Let’s celebrate our independence as a nation and our independence of this virus. We can do this. We will do this.”

This story originally appeared on the UAB News website.