Spokesperson Prep 

Summary: 

Today we are doing the kicking off our inoculation event here at Apogee Stadium. It's part of our health initiative called HealthyUNT to ensure that our faculty and staff are safe. We are following all state and federal guidelines, and I am confident this will be the beginning of making UNT a safer campus.

Three points to get across: 

1. The inoculation event will be a two-weekend event. The first weekend is for the first dose and the second weekend is for the second part of the vaccine. Faculty and staff need both doses of the vaccine to be safe. 

2. All 5,000 faculty and staff will be eligible to receive the vaccine. Those 5,000 people can get their vaccine today if they want to. We have enough for everyone.

3. UNT is excited to be part of this health initiative. We are so grateful to be able to provide this for our faculty and staff, and we hope to continue to vaccinate more people as vaccine doses start to become more available.

Ten question Q&A 

1. How will faculty and staff know when to get the vaccine?

   1. Faculty and staff will report to Apogee Stadium on a last-name basis. Each day will correspond with different last names, which will ensure this event runs smoothly.

2. How is UNT ensuring faculty, staff and students are safe? 

   1. UNT, at the moment, is doing a lot of remote learning. We have limited the number of professors and students on campus, and we enforce social distancing and the use of masks. It's part of our health initiative to have safe working conditions for our UNT community.

3. Is it true that you will be the first to receive the vaccine and how does it feel?

   1. I am very honored to get this vaccine. This past year has been tough for so many reasons, and I am ready to lead our UNT community in moving forward.

4. Why weren’t students included in this inoculation?

   1. At the moment, we were only able to allocate enough vaccines for faculty and staff. Students will be our main priority once vaccines become more available.  

5. Are the vaccines free of charge? 

   1. Yes, the vaccines are free of charge. The university has covered that, and we encourage all faculty and staff to come and receive the vaccine.

6. How many people have had COVID-19 at UNT? 

   1. UNT has done an amazing job at following COVID-19 guidelines. Our positivity rate for our 41,000 students has only been around 4%. The UNT COVID-19 dashboard has more information on that.

7. How do you think today will go?

   1. I believe today will go great. This is the first time UNT has ever done something like this, but we have been preparing for it. I am proud of everyone here who has made this possible.

8. Can students still get COVID-19 tests despite not getting the vaccine at the moment?

   1. Yes, students can still get tested, and we encourage it. UNT has many opportunities for students to get tested, and they should check the UNT COVID-19 dashboard for updates and new changes. Information is subject to change.

9. Will the campus start opening up as more people get the vaccine?

   1. For now, we will continue to follow the same CDC guideless we have been following, and once health officials say it's safe to start opening up, we will follow it accordingly.

10. Has faculty and staff been compliant with the vaccination? 

    1. It's their choice whether or not they get the vaccine, and I respect them regardless. I hope they listen to health providers and decide on the option that best benefits them and the community.