A tentative COVID-19 vaccination plan is taking shape in the Virginia Department of Health, but it is still unknown how VCU fits into the plan for a coronavirus vaccine that could be months away.
Gonzalo Bearman, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at VCU, said that a vaccine for the virus will probably not be widely available for another six to nine months –– either late next semester or the beginning of fall 2021. “In general, distribution must be prioritized to first line responders, healthcare workers, the elderly, and people with underlying chronic medical conditions which increase their risk of worse outcomes from COVID-19,” Bearman said. Bearman said that until published information is available on the vaccine, it will be difficult to predict how it will be distributed. However, he said VCU students and staff should be included as part of a “comprehensive, community-wide vaccine strategy” for the greater Richmond community. “It’s unlikely that the Richmond community will be vaccinated in isolation from VCU, and vice versa,” Bearman said. Read the full story by The Commonwealth Times HERE.
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