To help boost vaccination rates on campus, Calhoun Community College has announced it will pay employees and fall 2021 students who get fully vaccinated by Oct. 15.

The administration plans to offer a $150 incentive to get vaccinated to Calhoun employees and students who are enrolled for the fall semester and taking credit-bearing classes. Calhoun’s interim president, Jimmy Hodges, said it was the college’s way of doing its part to promote the health and safety of students, faculty and staff.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, the Alabama Department of Public Health, as well as health experts around the world, the vaccines are effective in significantly reducing the potential for severe illness, hospitalizations and death,” Hodges said. “We hope offering the vaccine and the incentive is a step in the right direction to get COVID behind us.”

Calhoun is not the only school offering such an incentive. In a release, the college noted other colleges and universities across the state and nation are announcing similar actions to maximize vaccination rates in their areas, including at all community colleges in Alabama.

To receive the incentive at Calhoun, Calhoun employees and students must visit calhoun.edu and complete the proof of vaccination form, then upload their official proof of vaccination record card. The form and upload must be completed no later than Oct. 15.

Funding for the incentive comes from federal funds authorized through the American Rescue Plan. Incentives will be paid on or around Nov. 30, according to Calhoun.

The school has also started offering free vaccination clinics on both campuses, according to a release. The Moderna vaccine is being offered to individuals 18 and older, with a second dose given 28 days after initial dose.

The clinics are open to all students, employees and members of the general public on the following days:

• 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30, and Tuesday, Aug. 31, in the lobby of the Health Sciences Building at the Decatur campus;

• 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, and Thursday, Sept. 2, in the lobby of the MSA Building at the Decatur campus; and

• 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, and Wednesday, Sept. 8, in the Sparkman Building Student Center, Huntsville.

Anyone with a history of severe respiratory reaction or anaphylaxis to any medication or vaccine is encouraged to get vaccinated in a hospital setting. Visit calhoun.edu/vaccine for more information about the incentive or vaccine clinics.