CHAPEL HILL (March 24, 2021) – North Carolina’s public universities have stepped up in oh-so-many ways to combat the coronavirus pandemic, UNC System President Peter Hans says.

“I’m so proud of our campuses that are offering mass vaccination clinics,” Hans says in the accompanying video.

He points to UNC Health – which had already delivered 170,000 vaccinations across the state when our interview took place – as well as clinics at N.C. A&T State University, UNC Asheville and Western Carolina University. Hans also notes a mobile clinic run by UNC Pembroke to reach rural communities.

There are now vaccine clinics open at 12 UNC System campuses, and two more plan to open clinics soon. As of Monday, UNC campus clinics had administered 22,207 doses of vaccine.

Hans also outlines the research UNC System campuses have done to test vaccines, develop antiviral drugs and produce monoclonal antibodies as treatments for COVID-19.

“All of this work has been designed to help the people of North Carolina, the people of our country, and indeed the world get to the other side of this season of hardship,” he says.