The Arkansas Department of Health began tracking Covid-19 vaccines of college students earlier this spring to help higher education institutions around the state, including the University of Central Arkansas, make informed decisions based on campus vaccinations. 

The purpose of the collected data was to help universities establish the number of students who have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine and use the data to help determine ways to encourage more student vaccinations on campuses. The covid-19 vaccinations available include Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, and Moderna. 

Per Act 977 of 2021 passed by the Arkansas legislation, public universities and colleges are prohibited from mandating students receive the covid-19 vaccination. Act 977 states that “receiving a vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) shall not be a condition of education.”

The ADH was able to track Arkansas college students who have received the covid-19 vaccine through a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Higher Education. 

“The ADH received a list of all students enrolled in higher education institutions (with a couple of exceptions) in Arkansas and matched that against our immunization registry. This allowed us to count the number of students on each campus who have received covid-19 vaccines,” Katie White, Deputy Director of Health Communications at ADH, said.

The number of students vaccinated is based on vaccines received and reported to the ADH by the provider (which is a requirement), according to White. 

“The number of students is based on exact counts as we have them in our immunization registry. The caveat here is that if some vaccines are not reported to us, or if students get their vaccines outside Arkansas and those are not reported to us, then there may be an undercount,” White said. 

According to ADH data from early May published in a June Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article, between 40% and 50% of UCA students, at the time had received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine. 

The Pfizer vaccine is currently available for UCA students, faculty, and staff at the Student Health Center. 

“We were encouraged by what was reported in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, that UCA is heading in the right direction. I’ve got to stress headed in the right direction. We are going to continue to make it as easy as possible for any of our students, faculty, staff and their families to get the vaccine,” UCA President Houston Davis said.

The university will continue to monitor covid related issues and cases on campus when returning in the fall and continue participating in the covid-19 consortium with Conway Regional Health System, Hendrix, Central Baptist College, Baptist Conway and the city of Conway, according to Davis. 

“UCA plans to continue to encourage and educate students, faculty, and staff as much as possible on the vaccine,” Davis added.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, UCA President Davis’ office has provided weekly updates to students, faculty and staff concerning all aspects of covid-19, including the vaccine availability on campus earlier this spring. The university plans to continue to provide updates as needed.

“We want to make certain that we are meeting the needs of our students first and foremost, faculty and staff second, and then the general public. I do anticipate that there will be a steady flow of communication as we look toward the fall. I want to make sure we keep that up until we know that we’re outside of the pandemic,” Davis said.

UCA is working to make sure incoming students at Summer Orientation and Academic Registration sessions have the opportunity, along with their families, to get the covid-19 vaccine at the student health clinic while on campus. SOAR sessions are required for all incoming students. 

“This is an example of Dr. Pastor and our student health clinic, making it as easy as possible on students and their families. So, when those students and their families are here for a SOAR session, they’ll have the ability to go over to the clinic and get the vaccine,” Davis said.  

UCA expects the vaccination rate of incoming students — following move-in, welcome week and the first six weeks of school — who didn’t get the vaccine during the summer SOAR sessions, to increase once they’re on campus, according to Davis.