Breaking News: FIU Distributes First COVID-19 Vaccines to Faculty and Staff

Elena Key/Contributing Writer

A first group of FIU faculty and staff received the first round of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine yesterday.

Around 150 university employees were vaccinated Jan.13 in the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine clinic at the Modesto Maidique campus. Currently, only faculty and staff 65 years or older and patient-facing health workers qualify to receive the vaccine, following Florida Governor Ron De Santis’ executive order. 

But, yesterday’s vaccination event is just the start of the university’s plan to distribute the COVID-19 immunization doses. 

“We want to be able to reach that herd immunity so that we have the population that is secured and could safely be able to be in front of the virus but yet, don’t get sick,” said Dr. Eneida Roldan, FIU’s vaccine site clinical director and Tamiami Park’s testing center operations chief.

Media is was not given access to the university’s vaccination site due to COVID-19 restrictions and patient privacy, stated an email from Madeline Baro, FIU’s Director of Media Relations.

Dr. Charles Buscemi, the assistant chair of FIU’s Graduate Nursing department and clinical associate professor, was the first to be vaccinated. 

“I’m overwhelmed with joy, with a sense of relief that I am starting the road to feeling safe after the impact of a horrific pandemic,” said Buscemi.

The university only received 2,000 vaccines, strictly for faculty and staff. The Florida Department of Health and Mayor of Miami-Dade County Daniella Levine Cava facilitated the vaccines, according to Baro’s email. 

Bridget Pelaez, FIU’s Operations and Safety assistant director, said faculty and staff can register for the vaccine by responding to Human Resources Division emails.

“This is our light at the end of the tunnel,” said Pelaez standing in front of FIU’s vaccination room.

Today, at 2:30 pm there will be a Town Hall meeting to discuss FIU’s future vaccination efforts. To register click here or join the University’s Facebook live.