Anchor: Onondaga County is hitting new milestones in its vaccination effort everyday. We go now live to NCC News’ Josh Meyers at the Syracuse University Hill, where a return to normalcy is not too far ahead.
Josh Meyers: All adults throughout the country are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and for Onondaga County, the effort has shifted to the younger demographic. County Executive Ryan McMahon says getting this population vaccinated is crucial for the county.
Ryan McMahon: And again, especially when the second shots in these younger demographics start to happen and then two weeks after that I think we’ll be in a better spot.
Josh Meyers: A large majority of these younger populations lie on college campuses. According to Syracuse University Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie, 61 percent of students at the University have reported getting vaccinated. He says these numbers present the University with new plans for next semester.
Michael Haynie: We’re back to a model where, assuming a vaccinated population, we may continue some level of surveillance testing, but nowhere close to a rate of testing that we’re requiring today.
Josh Meyers: And as vaccination numbers continue to grow, college campuses may see some semblance of normalcy by the end of the year. College students, like SU sophomore Walker Simmons, says he’s looking forward to what next semester may look like.
Walker Simmons: I can’t imagine, you know, what it’s going to look like after this summer. It just means that we’re one step closer to having a campus that is fully vaccinated.
Josh Meyers: Reporting live on the SU Hill, Josh Meyers, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Onondaga County is now shifting their vaccination efforts to younger populations, including college campuses and high schools. This comes just a day after all adults in the US became eligible to get the vaccine.
The shift to younger populations will help get students back in the classroom and allow college students to travel more freely, per County Executive Ryan McMahon. He said getting this population vaccinated is crucial for the county.
“Especially when the second shots in these younger demographics start to happen and then two weeks after that,” McMahon said in a briefing on Monday. “I think we’ll be in a better spot.”
These efforts reflect strongly at Syracuse University, where 61% of students have reported they have gotten the vaccine, according to Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie. He said these numbers are presenting SU with new plans for the Fall semester.
“We’re back to a model where, assuming a vaccinated population, we may continue some level of surveillance testing,” he told me in an interview on Monday. “But nowhere close to a rate of testing that we’re requiring today.”
With more students getting vaccinated every day, college students say they are itching to return to some sense of normalcy by next semester. Chancellor Kent Syverud sent a statement to the student body earlier this month requiring all students to get vaccinated in order to return to campus in the Fall.
SU sophomore Walker Simmons said he’s looking forward to what next semester may look like.
“I can’t imagine what it’s going to look like after this summer,” he told me. “It just means that we’re one step closer to having a campus that is fully vaccinated.”
The Oncenter and Fairgrounds are continuing to administer vaccines to Onondaga County residents. The Barnes Center is open for SU students to register for their vaccines as well.
NEW: 61% of the Syracuse University student body is reporting that they have been fully vaccinated, according to Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. “It will keep coming in, because a lot of people are not getting vaccinated at Barnes,” Haynie told me. @CitrusTVNews
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon: And again, especially when the second shots in these younger demographics start to happen and then two weeks after that I think we’ll be in a better spot.
SU Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie: We’re back to a model where, assuming a vaccinated population, we may continue some level of surveillance testing, but nowhere close to a rate of testing that we’re requiring today.
