As Kenan Stadium returned to its normal capacity for the first time in over a year, UNC gave out approximately 35 vaccine doses at a clinic hosted prior to the Tar Heels' game against Georgia State.
The University offered fans two free tickets to an upcoming home game if they got vaccinated before the game on Sept. 11.
Days before the game, UNC Athletics announced a partnership with Campus Health services to vaccinate individuals as they entered the stadium. They hoped to incentivize attendees to get vaccinated by combining it with the event that people love and miss most right now — college football.
”There have been multiple discussions about using the platform of game day to support public health messaging,” said John Brunner, associate athletic director for UNC Athletics.
The vaccines were distributed by UNC Campus EMS, a new student group on campus operating under Campus Health. In addition to distributing vaccines, the organization plans to help UNC’s campus in different ways, such as responding to 911 operations and promoting mental health and diversity projects starting early next month.
Ishan Khosla, who serves as co-director for Campus EMS, was pleased with the success of the vaccination initiative this past weekend.
"We were just kind of the man and woman power behind it, using our skills to make our community a little bit safer," Khosla said.
Unlike the student vaccination site available to students during the spring semester, which was limited to Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, the stadium offered all three vaccine options, including Pfizer.
Booster shots for those already fully vaccinated were not available at the stadium site.
