UMaine School of Nursing vaccinating elementary school students

University of Maine School of Nursing students are working to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to elementary school students aged 5–11 who are now eligible to be vaccinated. The UMaine nursing students will be participating in as many as 13 clinics scheduled through Nov. 19 in Bangor-region schools delivered in partnership with Penobscot Community Health Care.  

Approximately 200 UMaine nursing students and 17 staff and adjunct faculty have administered 12,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since January. Working with health care partners including Northern Light Health and PCHC the UMaine School of Nursing has supported 147 community and campus-based clinics.  

“We could not be more proud of how our nursing students and the faculty and staff of the School of Nursing have stepped up and helped lead Maine’s response to the pandemic,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, President of the University of Maine and the Chair of the University of Maine System’s Vaccine Planning and Partnership Task Force. “Children in our local schools now will be among the thousands of Maine citizens who are safer because of the Black Bear commitment to service and public safety.” 

Nursing students across Maine participate in vaccination efforts

University of Southern Maine nursing students have been partnering with Intermed and Northern Light Health in support of vaccine clinics serving adults and pediatrics throughout the fall semester. With the expansion of vaccine eligibility to children ages 5–11 close to 100 USM nursing students are working over the next several weeks at elementary and middle schools in the Portland and Lewiston-Auburn regions.  

Students from the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) are participating in clinics sponsored by Northern Maine Medical Center to assist with booster shot vaccination clinics twice per week.  

UMFK nursing students have administered thousands of shots throughout the pandemic by working with clinical partners at Northern Maine Medical Center and Fish River Rural Health. Nursing Resource Center Manager and professor Larry Nadeau has volunteered many hours to work with students on this important initiative. “We are so proud of our nursing students who have volunteered so many hours and to be assisting with vaccination efforts in our region,” says Nadeau. 

The University of Maine at Augusta has a new nursing program and has prepared its junior and senior year nursing students to participate in vaccination efforts with local affiliates. UMA plans to place students in local schools and would welcome the opportunities to assist school nurses with vaccination efforts. Partnerships are also being developed with public health nurses.  

Contact: Dan Demeritt, 207.441.6962; dan.demeritt@maine.edu