New Mexico universities turn to vaccine card tracking systems in light of coronavirus pandemic
"We need everyone to be safe, because we do protect our surrounding communities as well as our own campus," Jon Webster, COVID-19 project manager at NMSU, said.
"We need everyone to be safe, because we do protect our surrounding communities as well as our own campus," Jon Webster, COVID-19 project manager at NMSU, said.
"We need everyone to be safe, because we do protect our surrounding communities as well as our own campus," Jon Webster, COVID-19 project manager at NMSU, said.
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, New Mexico State University (NMSU) officials are implementing new protocols to keep their communities safe.
A new online platform, known as "Vax Trax", will now require students and faculty to upload their vaccination cards and track testing for COVID-19.
The system launched Wednesday, Sept. 15, and so far, 500 people have submitted copies of their vaccine cards.
"By all appearances, it's working fantastic. It's a process that takes less than a minute to do," Jon Webster, COVID-19 project manager for NMSU, said.
By Sept. 30, all students and faculty must be fully vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. The announcement was made by the university in August.
With the new online platform, officials are hoping to make proof of documentation against the virus an easy requirement for all.
"[We] basically worked around the clock when we asked them to do this, to get this platform up and running in a manner that was secure but also easy to use," Webster said.
After logging into NMSU's private network, students and faculty are asked to enter their name and school identification. Then, they're asked to select the final date of their last COVID-19 shot and upload their state's vaccination card.
The card is soon reviewed by school personnel for validity.
"They are gonna be going through a little bit of training with the New Mexico Department of Health, along with our Aggie Health and Wellness Center, of what to be looking for to identify potential false cards, Webster said.
A similar process at the University of New Mexico (UNM).
Under the school's "Vax the Pack" campaign, students and faculty can upload COVID-19 vaccination documents, while also getting $100 incentives.
Like NMSU, UNM also has a full vaccination deadline of Sept. 30.
"We’ve also been wanting to incentivize people to protect their communities, so there’s that type of motivation as well as the financial one," Cinnamon Blair, spokesperson for UNM, said.
Blair adds, since July, the university's population of those fully vaccinated has increased.
“The numbers are really going up in terms of people providing that vaccination information," Blair said.
University officials say, when it comes to the future, vaccine card tracking systems could likely become the new norm for higher institutions.
"It gives us really good data because all of our decisions have been made on the data we receive," Blair said.
Webster agrees.
“NMSU is one of those public institutions that has not necessarily required the vaccines in the past, but we’re seeing why it’s such an important piece and important tool to have," Webster said.