Last week, Washington State’s Department of Health issued this phased plan/timeline for vaccine distribution. Our state is currently in Phase 1B, Tier 1 of vaccine distribution. In visiting DOH’s website, a series of questions in the Phase Finder can help each of us identify where we fit within the vaccination plan. Because the parameters are specific to living/working arrangements and personal health conditions (among other factors), members of our campus community will fall into many categories of priority. We encourage everyone to conduct this self-assessment, answer questions honestly, and take advantage of vaccination availability as soon as possible. In addition, community members are encouraged to contact their own health care provider to discuss vaccination eligibility and timing.
The Spokane Regional Health District recommends that employees and students who qualify per the phased plan participate in the Spokane Arena mass vaccination clinic, anticipated to open Wednesday, January 27. Vaccinations will be by appointment and delivered only to those who qualify under the current phase of Washington State’s plan.
Some of Gonzaga’s front-line employees serving in areas such as Health and Wellness Services, Housing and Residential Life, Campus Security and Public Safety, and Plant Services qualified to receive the vaccine within the first phase of the plan, and some have already been vaccinated. Students and faculty who are present in health care settings (internships, practicums) may also be eligible, and some have received vaccines.
Currently, colleges and universities are not named specifically in Washington’s vaccination plan. President McCulloh has reached out to Governor Inslee as well as other state health leaders requesting that universities be included in Phase 1B, Tier 2 along with other congregate settings (such as K-12 schools) given the virtually identical dynamics and risk factors present on our campus.
Gonzaga is currently considering submitting a proposal to become a community vaccination center. If considered viable and acceptable, this would allow us to live out an expression of our support for the greater community of which we are a part.
As we learn more, more information will be provided via this newsletter, Morning Mail, and the ZagOn website.