Trinity Should Administer the Vaccine On-Campus

Lucius Bryant ’22

Contributing Writer

Often I will find myself wishing I knew something I have recently learned at some earlier point in time when the information would have been much more pertinent. This feeling usually starts as déjà vu to the earlier time but then contempt for the method of learning things episodically. I felt that same pain last Sunday after completing the survey for the Dean about vaccinations on campus. I wish I knew they were considering this a few weeks ago when I was writing an article about it. Though, that article has somewhat faded into obscurity in my own head now.

The implications of the College rolling out vaccinations are myriad. I think it is quite a blessing that this institution can consider this course of action. I can only see it as beneficial to return to the way things were, from both a social and a financial standpoint for the College. Although I am not certain of the cost to vaccinate the whole campus, I have faith Trinity would weigh the benefits fairly or even more heavily than said cost. Thus far the vaccine has been shown to halve the attack rates throughout the country, and giving access here, where students convene from all over the world, alleviates the problem beyond the Hartford community.

The greater implications of this process are a bit more speculative but still worth addressing. All hypothetical methods of acquiring the vaccine, whether it be through private funds or governmental access, suggest the current plan for administering the vaccines is not as tight as it should be. As we have been on short order since the initial rollout, it stands to believe we could only possibly receive vaccinations when the planned ones have been dealt out and administered. If time is the priority in getting vaccinated, it would be tough to believe the college would have the power to do much at all.

The greatest problem so far is the lack of details. No one knows when or how this could take occur. Speculations lead to believing it would be substantially earlier than the country’s rollout plan would allow. It is this same speculation that could cause the college’s plan for vaccinations to find rocky terrain impeding its implementation. However, if Trinity is even remotely considering its role in vaccinating anyone, they should act on it. Even if the vaccine is administered at Trinity for location convenience alone, it would be a benefit to families and communities everywhere. Such is the nature of this disease.