To compensate for staffing changes and retirements this fall, the Center for Health and Wellness (CHW) partnered with local pharmacies to guarantee that student needs for vaccine and immunization offerings are met.
Working with Shaw’s and Albertsons allowed the CHW to properly allocate their own staff in response to student requests and demands, according to Director of Health Services Alison Finch.
“We wanted to use our available staff to prioritize ensuring access to Health Services appointments and services. Partnering with an outside pharmacy allowed us to do that, as well as offer immunizations that we would be unable to offer on our own, such as Covid, tetanus, and immunizations, in addition to flu,” Finch wrote to The Campus.
Roughly 12o students received vaccinations at the Oct. 2nd clinic in McCullough, which was the first of three planned for this semester. During that clinic, students had the option of receiving the flu shot, a Covid-19 booster or both.
This marks an increase in offered immunization sessions as compared to last year, and there were also more available locations to receive shots. While all clinics previously took place in Wilson Hall, BiHall and the Athletic Center (AC) also held sessions this year. This expanded programming arose as a result of the efforts of Lindsey Burnham ’26, a member of the women’s squash team.
Last fall, Burnham witnessed how a scarcity of accessible vaccine clinics enabled waves of student-athletes to fall ill, given that the clinics conflicted with their practice and game schedules.
“Last year, none of the squash team got vaccinated besides me, and everyone got the flu,” Burnham explained in an interview with The Campus. “People miss a week or two weeks from it, which is likely missing five games, and that affects you for the rest of the season because your endurance just isn’t there.”
Burnham said that while this idea germinated out of making vaccines more accessible to student-athletes, the expanded programming will benefit all Middlebury students. She explained how the added clinic locations offered quick appointments for students that do not demand a lot of time and can slot easily into their daily schedules.
“We were like, we can probably have a place in BiHall for people — if they have a lab until four, they can go down right after and get their flu shot. The same if an athlete’s going to practice, or if someone’s going to the gym — it’s right at the entrance,” Burnham said.
Burnham commended the CHW for being receptive to and supportive of her ideas on how to make vaccinations more accessible.
“They were really responsive to it. I sent them an email and we had a chat over the summer… I said, you know, we should have clinics in different locations, and here are the times I think might be good. Essentially, she just did exactly what I said,” Burnham said. “She was super nice, and very willing to listen.” Burnham also worked with Assistant Dean and Associate Director of Health Professions & Science Advising Hannah Benz to coordinate the expansion of the immunization clinics.
“When meeting with Lindsey last J-Term, I inquired about her squash season, and she mentioned that several teammates had come down with the flu, forcing the team to forfeit matches. That sparked a conversation about how immunizations protect not just individuals, but entire communities, and a follow-up spring meeting got us thinking about what barriers might exist that prevent students from getting vaccinated,” Benz wrote. “Lindsay developed a thoughtful student-centric initiative. On a residential college campus, flu immunization is vital, and Lindsey’s work will go a long way towards achieving herd immunity and keeping Middlebury healthy.”
Burnham also worked with Caroline Adams ’26, a member of the women’s lacrosse team and co-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, to formulate a plan for the vaccine clinics.
Adams also emphasized the convenience afforded by the clinic location of the Athletic Center.
“As athletes, Lindsey and I wanted to make it as convenient as possible for busy student-athletes, who are already doing so much to take care of their health, to get vaccinated. We organized to have one of the three campus clinics at Goldsmith Lounge in the Athletic Center so that athletes and all other students that frequent the AC only need an extra 5-10 minutes in their day to get vaccinated. In bringing a free, walk-in vaccine clinic to the AC, we hope to reduce the barrier to healthcare for as many people as we can,” Adams wrote.
The final of the three vaccine clinics will be on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 1-4pm in the Goldsmith Lounge in the Athletic Center.
Cole Chaudhari '26 (he/him) is the Senior News Editor.
Cole has previously served as a Managing Editor, News Editor, Copy Editor, and Staff Writer. He is majoring in History and English Literature, and spends his time outside of the newsroom reading about sound reproduction technologies and making field recordings. This past summer, he taught high schoolers at a summer program at a boarding school in New Hampshire.
