Both schools reported that more than 80% of students were vaccinated.
WILKES-BARRE, Pennsylvania – The majority of the people on Wilkes University campus are now vaccinated.
At the beginning of the semester three weeks ago, the school reported that 75% of the students were vaccinated; that is now up to 81%.
“Just knowing that everyone is somehow taking the initiative and trying to do their part is really reassuring to know,” said Kathrine Ermeus in her second year.
Wilkes does not mandate vaccines, but does require students and staff to report their vaccination status to the university.
“If there’s a positive case, we know who needs to be quarantined or who needs to be tested. This has really helped us manage a mixed community of people who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated,” said Gabrielle, executive Wilkes University’s director of communications said D’Amico.
Officials at King’s College, also in Wilkes-Barre, report similar figures.
At King’s, 82% of students are vaccinated; that is 11% more than at the beginning of the semester three weeks ago.
“Really good. It’s like everyone wants to be here. So if we all do our part to stay here it’s a really good feeling,” said Chelsea Solis in his sophomore year.
Students who are not vaccinated are tested weekly at King’s.
Joann Kosik, director of student health services at King’s College, said it was one of the reasons more students got the injection.
“They don’t really enjoy being tested weekly, that was one of the problems,” said Kosik.
With the spread of the Delta variant, both schools are taking extra precautions beyond vaccines.
Students and employees must also wear masks indoors.
“Having masks indoors isn’t even a point of being vaccinated or unvaccinated, it just means real care for the person sitting next to you in the class,” said Donald Ballou, senior at Wilkes University.
Although vaccination rates are increasing, 34 students at Wilkes University have tested positive for COVID-19 so far this semester.
In the meantime, a total of 50 people have tested positive on campus at King’s College since the beginning of the semester.
