On Thursday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Acme Pharmacy will conduct an on-site vaccination clinic held in Anacon “A” of the Student Center. This is open to all Monmouth University students, employees, spouses of employees, as well as adult children of employees. This clinic will provide both the regular and high-dose flu vaccinations, along with the newly updated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, for which preference can be requested.
One must present a health insurance card to access the benefits of this program. With the card, the flu vaccine comes free, but with the COVID-19 vaccine, cost coverage depends on the carrier. Additionally, making an appointment allows for patients to skip the line and receive their vaccination quicker.
Kathy Maloney, DNP, APN, Director of Health Services, thinks that this clinic is a great resource. She explained, “Flu season is near, and getting vaccinated is important.” The inspiration for creating the clinics on campus was to follow the best way to prevent people from getting viruses. These clinics are held on campus every fall season, with this year marking the second year of the flu clinic of the fall season, as well as the first COVID-19 clinic with the updated booster shots. Maloney recommends that these treatments should be received before the viruses hit. “We are all about prevention, staying up to date with vaccinations, and getting ahead of the outbreaks,” said Maloney.
Maloney refers to this clinic as a combination clinic. These are usually two separate events, one for the COVID-19 vaccines and one for the flu immunization, but this year they combined the two. She mentions that the past fall clinics are very well attended. She explained, “In September [2022], Wegmans Pharmacy came on campus and vaccinated 212 people which consisted of both employees and students.” She feels like this September was a little too early to roll out the COVID-19 vaccines because it had just been approved. Acme, however, was able to get a hold of some of those vaccines so that the clinic with the new boosters can be held this month.
Aiyana Hudson, a sophomore nursing student, thinks that students can benefit from attending the University’s clinics. She said, “It’s important for students to attend the clinics because it helps students stay protected, and it also provides a way for students to get vaccinated without having to drive across town.” Being that flu season is on the rise, she feels that it’s better to get it sooner than later. She is very fond of the appointment features the clinic provides, as well, and this is something that she would suggest to students.
Hudson elaborated, “I would suggest it to students especially those who have a busy schedule or do not have the time to drive a long way to get to their doctors and sit in the office for who knows how long.” She weighs on the fact that this provides a way for students to get vaccinated and protected on their own time.
Fareedat Adeleke, a junior biology student, agreed with Hudson. She added, “We’re in college and people get sick here a lot so it’s a great resource to have a clinic here on campus.” Adeleke has not attended a clinic on campus before because she goes to her doctor, but this is something that she would suggest to students. She continued, “Some people don’t have doctors or health centers, so they aren’t able to get the vaccinations they need so this is a great resource for them to use.”
