Participants in the challenge commit to taking key actions to help get their campus communities vaccinated.
The University of Rochester has joined the White House COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge, a new national initiative organized by the White House, US Department of Education, and the American College Health Association (ACHA) that seeks to galvanize colleges and universities to help increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among the 18- to 24-year-old population. The University was invited to be a first adopter of this nationwide effort, which is especially important now during the summer months, when most students are away from campus. The challenge is aimed at reaching students where they are to encourage them to get vaccinated before the new academic year begins.
Colleges and universities around the country, including Rochester, have been leading the way throughout the pandemic to keep their communities safe and healthy. Building on the leadership of college presidents and campus health professionals across the nation, the White House launched the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge by inviting college presidents to take a pledge to commit to taking action to increase vaccination rates in their college communities. University President Sarah Mangelsdorf has signed the pledge.
Participating colleges and universities commit to taking three key actions as part of the challenge in order to help get their campus communities vaccinated: engaging every student, faculty, and staff member; organizing their college communities; and delivering vaccine access for all.
Dr. Ralph Manchester, vice provost and University Health Service (UHS) director, will lead the University’s involvement with the challenge. He notes that the University has already made substantial progress over the past few months to carry out the three actions, including providing the vaccine to students, faculty, and staff on campus through both UHS and the Medical Center.
ACHA—which honored Manchester with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020—has been working closely with the White House on ways to increase vaccine uptake in the 18- to 24-year-old population. As part of the program, organizers will facilitate events for colleges to learn from each other—panels, communities of practice, and more—as well as provide toolkits, best practices, communications materials for engaging parents, and briefings with White House administration officials.
For more information, visit the White House COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge.
