A Vanderbilt student-led initiative has partnered with the Division of Administration to drive greater awareness within the university community on the benefits of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Noah Lustbader, a first-year student and vice president of the Vanderbilt Initiative for Public Health Equality, reached out earlier this spring to the Division of Administration  about student interest in making a difference by helping to reduce vaccine hesitancy among staff and others on campus. Of particular concern might be staff who are not able to be in front of a computer frequently to access information.

Lustbader and the other students then reached out Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of health policy and professor of preventive medicine, who is an internationally renowned infectious disease specialist. He was happy to sit down with the students to offer his expert insight and commentary on COVID-19 and common misconceptions about vaccines.

Schaffner discusses the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations and dispels inaccuracies that could be causing vaccine hesitation within the Vanderbilt and broader community. Schaffner also explains the reasons for maintaining health and safety protocols at this time.