FEATURES
Touro College of Pharmacy Jabs Land A Healthy Punch TCOP TAKES THE LEAD IN COMMUNITYWIDE TESTING AND VACCINATION EFFORT It was barely 11 a.m. on a winter morning, and already more than 30 people had found their way to Touro College of Pharmacy in Harlem. The school had that day launched a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, transforming its fourth-floor cafeteria into an immunization site. “We are booked solid,” said Assistant Dean Dr. Michael Liu. “At least 100 are signed up, and already we have a wait list. Everything is going really well.” In more ways than one. Those who came to the clinic received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine and a follow-up appointment. Equally satisfying for Liu and other faculty and staff members was that Touro’s student pharmacists were getting real-life lessons to complement their academic studies. The students, faculty and staff all had volunteered to work staggered shifts at the clinic to make certain everyone was cared for. The volunteers led patients through intake and counseled them. They prepared doses, administered and registered the vaccinations with New York City’s health department, and monitored for allergic reactions. Medication was scarce, so initially “patients” were limited to the pharmacy school and Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, but the hope was that care could be expanded to other Touro schools if supplies increased.
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TOURO COLLEGE | DEAN’S UPDATE
