Students receive their COVID-19 Vaccinations through Student Health Services on the Tampa campus.
Courtesy of USF
By Aubrey Carr
A recent survey revealed an increase in COVID-19 vaccinations during the fall 2021 semester.
Carried out by the Wellness Center, the voluntary survey was sent to students and faculty of the USF St. Petersburg campus last December.
The survey asked questions regarding general COVID-19 vaccination status and opinions toward the vaccine.
Though participation was not required, 1,100 members of the USF St. Petersburg community responded to the questionnaire. A majority of respondents reported a full vaccination status.
Of those that responded, 93.78% said they received all doses of their chosen vaccines. At 66.83%, most fully vaccinated respondents received the Pfizer vaccine.
The survey also showed large vaccination numbers for staff and faculty members. Of the 197 staff respondents, 100% reported being fully vaccinated. Of the 114 faculty respondents, 99.1% said they were fully vaccinated.
For unvaccinated respondents, 82.35% did not receive any vaccine and 14.71% self-reported receiving at least one dose, but not completing the full course of vaccinations.
The survey directed unvaccinated individuals to share the reasoning behind their vaccination status. 23.21% felt protected by antibodies from previous COVID-19 exposure, 25.89% believed their natural immunity was enough, 16.07% did not trust any vaccinations and 5.36% said their healthcare provider advised against the vaccine.
In a report for the survey, Victoria Beltran, assistant director of preventative services for the Wellness Center, further broke down responses.
“Most of those who responded to not getting the vaccine and why fell into the themes of mistrust because of past family history of negative reactions to vaccines, mistrust of the speed of development of the vaccines and feeling like they were healthy enough to not need the vaccine,” Beltran said. “Most of those who stated they didn’t trust it repeated a myth or misperception about FDA approval and vaccination efficacy”
The Wellness Center also reported an increased number of COVID-19 vaccinations given during the fall 2021 semester.
In comparison to the 167 vaccines administered during the combined spring/summer semesters, 265 COVID-19 vaccinations were completed during the fall semester –– a 59% increase.
The growth in vaccine numbers comes on the heels of the Wellness Center’s efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence.
Aided by a $3,000 grant from The American College Health Association (ACHA), the Wellness Center launched its “Vaxxed AF (and fortunate)” campaign early in the fall semester.
According to Beltran, shirts, buttons and bags labeled “Vaxxed AF” were used as incentive to increase acceptance of vaccinations around the St. Petersburg campus.
“Our hope is that students display that they got the vaccine and others who see a lot of their peers wearing these as a statement will reinforce a message and influence them that we can all do this together,” said Beltran.
In addition to the merchandise, the grant also offered the Wellness Center an opportunity to hire two students as social media ambassadors –– a temporary paid position in which the students spread vaccine awareness online.
The Wellness Center also hosts weekly vaccination clinics. On Tuesdays (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) and Wednesdays (1 to 3 p.m.), The Wellness Center offers the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the two-dose Pfizer vaccine to the USF community. Booster vaccinations are also offered during the clinics.
The service is available to students, future students, faculty, staff and family members aged 13 and up.
