BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Bowling Green State University is using data from flu shot clinics, to begin logistical planning for the COVID-19 vaccine.
"Some researchers actually studied our efficiency within the flu shot clinic to really look at 'What's the best way to process people? Is the location the best for convenience,'" BGSU Chief Health Officer Ben Batey said Wednesday.
Batey explained that the idea behind the study is really a pilot project. It's meant to help make the vaccination process for COVID-19 efficient when the time comes.
"We had some interesting findings. We know for us, registration was the slow process; people filling out paperwork because we don't have an automated process for that yet," he said.
By looking at this data and finding ways to speed up the process, Batey said the university can do its part to vaccinate as many people in as little time as possible, with the hopes of achieving herd immunity.
"The goal would be to make it as convenient as possible so that people want to get it," Batey said. "Sometimes even just that inconvenience of having to schedule time out of your day to travel to a pharmacy or schedule an appointment with your doctor's office might be a barrier to keep someone from getting that vaccine."
Batey said his team is still finishing up some research, and looking at ways to speed up the process.
He expects the first vaccinations on campus to not only be those in high-risk categories but also teachers, following the state's vaccine rollout plan.
You can read more about the university's research here.