THE Vice Chancellors of Queen's University and Ulster University have issued a joint appeal for students to get vaccinated ahead of a return to campus in September.
The call comes as both universities have indicated a desire to return to full-time face-to-face teaching for the first time since March 2020.
Professor Ian Greer and Professor Paul Bartholomew said: "Our shared focus is on the resumption of a full on-campus teaching and research experience and we look forward to re-connecting with staff and students.
"To that end, we strongly encourage all staff and students to take up the vaccine. We welcome the NI vaccination programme’s ‘Big Jab Weekend’ initiative to boost vaccination uptake and make it as easy as possible to take this simple step.
"Getting vaccinated is by far the best way to protect the entire NI community and to ensure that our return to full campus operations is on a permanent basis.”
Students are expected to return to university at the end of September and NUS-USI President Ellen Fearon has joined the call for students to avail of the 'Big Jab Weekend'.
"If you haven’t got the vaccine yet and you’re heading to campus in September, then get down to the Big Jab Weekend," she said.
"This year it’s one of those essential parts of your fresher’s checklist and it’s so easy to do with all the vaccine centres and pop-up centres offering first jabs on a walk-in basis.
"Students everywhere have seen their lives turned upside down by the pandemic and this is one of the quickest ways we have to seeing the social side of education returning. I’ve got my jab and I would encourage everyone to get theirs too."
This weekend will be the last chance for anyone aged 18 and over to get their first jab at a mass vaccination centre as they will soon be winding down their work after nine months of intensive activity.
Anyone aged 16 and over can get their first vaccine dose at the ongoing series of localised walk-in clinics being held across the North this weekend.
16- and 17-year-olds will continue to be able to get Pfizer vaccine first jabs every day at the mass vaccination centres.
In addition, anyone aged 18 and over can also book a Moderna vaccine first dose appointment at participating community pharmacies.
Encouraging as many people as possible to avail of the vaccine this weekend, Patricia Donnelly, Head of NI’s vaccination programme, said: “I want to thank vaccination teams for this latest initiative and for their incredible dedication and enthusiasm ever since the programme began.
“The current phase of our vaccination programme will be drawing to a close in the coming weeks. The mass vaccination centres will be winding down by the end of this month, as the buildings return to their normal use.
“There will still be opportunities to get vaccinated – for instance at community pharmacies and through forthcoming targeted initiatives. However, these opportunities will be inevitably more limited, as the focus of the programme switches to booster jabs. If you haven’t got your jab already, the right time is now – it will never be easier or more convenient than it is now.”
