BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – Today, West Virginia Wesleyan College announced the first round of inoculations of the COVID-19 vaccine for faculty and staff, as part of the State of West Virginia’s comprehensive vaccine allocation plan.

Under the state’s vaccine allocation plan, WVWC is categorized in Phase 1-D, which includes “teachers and education staff in higher education and K-12 and other sectors for critical services for our state, such as utility and transportation workers.”

Read the State of West Virginia’s vaccine allocation plan here.

“As part of the statewide vaccination plan outlined by the Governor, Wesleyan began to inoculate faculty and staff today, with priority given to those individuals over the age of 60 years old and/or those who have a pre-existing condition,” said John Bohman, Supervisor of Campus Safety and Security, who leads and oversees the College’s COVID-19 response. “We will continue to follow the State of West Virginia’s direction in partnership with the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department and with the expertise of our high-quality nursing faculty.”

West Virginia Wesleyan initially received 50 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which was authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month. The college will receive subsequent doses as allocated by the State of West Virginia.

Learn more about the safety and effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control here. 

Alisa Lively, who is 61 years old and considered a frontline worker on campus as the Director of Campus Life who oversees the Residence Halls, was the first faculty or staff member to receive the vaccine at Wesleyan. While the vaccinations were overseen by the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department, as required by the state, Wesleyan’s nationally-recognized nursing faculty administered the vaccinations to faculty and staff.

“Today is an important day as more of our Upshur-Buckhannon community receives the vaccine, thereby expanding our shared efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Sue McKisic, RN and Nurse Director/Administrator of the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department. 

While the vaccinations are an important part of the state’s response, campus officials stressed that campus policies, such as the universal mask policy, still apply and will be enforced.

“Wesleyan will continue to implement our arrival to campus plan that mandates universal mask wearing, social distancing and increased hand hygiene until further notice,” Bohman said. “We will continue to do our part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campus.” 

Read Wesleyan’s comprehensive Arrival on Campus Plan here.