By Eli Hughes–

The University of Louisville announced on March 26 that a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination site will open on April 8 at Cardinal Stadium. Priority will be given to U of L faculty and staff, including students employed by the university.

“For the first two days, April 8 and 9, UofL Health will reserve Cardinal Stadium’s Purple Lot exclusively for university employees with vaccination appointments,” the email announcement said. “Starting April 12, the site will serve both university employees and members of the public.”

U of Health plans to vaccinate about 4,000 people per day at this site, which will have 24 lanes. Even though it will primarily be a drive-through site, people scheduled to get vaccinated do not need to be in a vehicle to receive the vaccination.

This site plans to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which only requires one dose. However, it is possible that the vaccine type could change in the future.

Employees and students on payroll will receive and email next week inviting them to make a vaccine appointment. They will then fill out a form indicating if they would like to make a vaccination appointment and what their availability is. Employees who have already been vaccinated or don’t want a vaccine should still fill out a form.

Those who indicate that they would like a vaccine will receive another email with their appointment details from U of L Health’s scheduling system.

The email announcement encouraged employees who already have vaccine appointments to keep those appointments and for fully vaccinated people to continue to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.

“Even after you are fully vaccinated, masking and physical distancing of at least 6 feet are still required on campus,” the email said. “We will inform the university community when changes to our health protocols and testing program may take place.”

More information about the COVID-19 vaccination can be found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. Further information on U of L’s vaccination plan can be found on their COVID-19 webpage.

Graphic by Eli Hughes//The Louisville Cardinal