RowanSOM selected as regional COVID-19 vaccination site

Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM) will join the next tier of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination sites in the next two weeks.

After weeks of preparation, the Rowan Vaccination Center is poised to become operational soon after it receives its first shipment of vaccines. The center will initially provide 200 inoculations per day, focusing first on the front-line health care workers that the federal and state governments have identified as the first priority for receiving the highly anticipated vaccine.

“I call this project ‘Operation Saving Lives’ because every vaccine we give has the potential to save not only one, but many lives,” says RowanSOM Dean Dr. Thomas Cavalieri. “As a community-based vaccination center, we are particularly excited to offer this lifesaving inoculation to first responders, physicians, home health aides and other health care providers who may not be directly affiliated with a hospital system.”

Rowan University officials expect the Vaccination Center to remain operational for at least six months to support New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s ambitious goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the state’s population before summer.

Consistent with federal and state guidelines, the Rowan Vaccination Center will initially provide vaccinations to front-line health care workers, then progress to other groups as prioritized by the New Jersey Department of Health. Those additional groups will include non-health care essential workers, adults at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness, and adults 65 years and older before including members of the general public.

Quickly creating a vaccination center capable of delivering hundreds of vaccines daily presented significant logistical challenges, requiring immediate and flexible solutions. Those solutions flowed from nearly round-the-clock meetings, fueled by the enthusiastic response of faculty and staff from both RowanSOM and Rowan Medicine, along with significant support from staff on Rowan’s main campus in Glassboro.

“It has been an extraordinary effort,” Dr. Cavalieri says. “The end result is that we are going to help provide equitable access to the vaccine for all who live, work or are educated in New Jersey. Eventually we will achieve community protection against this truly horrifying disease that has taken so many friends, family members and colleagues from us this year.

“We are excited to get started because we know that every vaccine we administer saves lives and is a step closer to ensuring community protection against COVID-19.”

The Rowan COVID-19 Vaccination Center is located on the campus of Rowan’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford. Vaccinations will be available only by appointment. Additional information is available at www.rowanmedicine.com/vaccine.