University of the Pacific hosted a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic for Pacific community members on the Stockton Campus this past weekend.

In partnership with San Joaquin County Public Health Services, Pacific faculty and students from the pharmacy and physician assistant programs distributed several hundred COVID-19 vaccinations to county approved recipients, including Pacific health care program faculty and students, health center staff, public safety personnel and employees age 65 and older.

"I could not be more proud of our university community," said Maria Pallavicini, Pacific provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "The clinic was incredibly well planned by our pharmacy students, with superb guidance and mentorship from our amazing faculty. This was another great example of the excellence that exemplifies Pacific."

The vaccine clinic was organized by core a group of pharmacy students, including Carissa Leung, WooJin Lim, Talar Yetenekian and Kyle Vo. The group was under the supervision of Pacific pharmacy Professor Veronica Bandy. In a true example of interprofessional collaboration, the team was supported at the event by Pacific physician assistant studies students, who were organized by Pacific Professor Tracey DelNero.

"This collaboration demonstrates the important partnership between health care professionals that is necessary to bring an end to this pandemic," said Bandy.

In addition, local volunteer dentists, many of whom were alumni of Pacific’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, helped administer vaccines at the clinic. Judee Tippett-Whyte, DDS '86, president of the California Dentist Association, was one of the dentists to volunteer after the state announced in early January dentists could be vaccinators.

“We were all just very excited. We’re health care providers and it’s really important that we can help take care of our communities,” Tippett-Whyte said. “And this was a great opportunity to help us train and bring us one step further ahead of this pandemic.”

Following the success of the clinic, Pacific and county officials hope the university can start serving the wider San Joaquin community with additional county-supplied vaccines.

“We are committed to working with our public health partners to support vaccinations in our community and beyond as more become available," Bandy said. "And I fully expect that we will be prepared as we move forward."