Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) are proud to announce that Clemson’s front-line workers classified as phase 1A are receiving COVID-19 vaccines Friday through the longstanding partnership between the two institutions. Among those receiving vaccines are Clemson Rural Health clinicians and team members; Healthy Me-Healthy SC Rural COVID Screening Teams; Redfern Health Center medical personnel and staff; School of Nursing faculty, staff and students involved in direct clinical care; and first responders on campus like Fire and EMS.
In a powerful collaboration led by MUSC, where they are providing the vaccines as well as command staff, clinical and IT support, Redfern is providing medical oversight and personal protective equipment, and Clemson Rural Health is providing clinical support and medical surveillance. Clemson Athletics is also playing an integral role by securely transporting the vaccines to campus and providing facilities for their distribution. Approximately 300 workers received vaccinations.
Many of the Clemson University employees receiving vaccines today have been responsible for COVID-19 efforts on campus related to employees, faculty, staff and students since March. According to Caitlin Kickham, associate director of the Joseph F. Sullivan Center, front-line workers are incredibly grateful to partners at MUSC who have made these vaccination efforts possible. Kickham said University leadership are proud of the tireless work of all Clemson University team members who have been on the front lines of COVID-19 response since March.
The Joseph F. Sullivan Center and Clemson Rural Health are housed in the Clemson University College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS). Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in seven disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.