A Shot in the Arm for Internationalization

For updates on North Carolina State University’s (NC State) COVID-19 vaccination policies, international students can turn to an unusual source: YouTube.

In a video produced by NC State’s Office of International Services, Julie Casani, MD, director and medical director of student health services, matter-of-factly answered four of the most common questions that international students ask: 

What COVID vaccines are required at NC State? 
“The quick answer is none,” Casani says, noting that students arriving without vaccinations will be required to self-quarantine and test.

Can students get vaccinated when they arrive? 
Yes, but only with the vaccines authorized for use in the United States. 

What if you only get one dose of a two-dose vaccine before arriving? 
Health services staff will discuss the options with you. 

What if you’re fully vaccinated? 
“Move in, get tested, and get ready for the semester,” Casani says in the video.

While vaccines have brought the promise of a more normal academic year on U.S. campuses—and the return of mobility worldwide—the situation remains a rapidly evolving one. Institutions are working to provide international students with accurate information in time for them to make plans, which continue to be complicated by other factors: backlogs in visa appointments, limited flights, and public health conditions in their home countries. 

“People have all the things they need to prepare, and we’re getting these questions ahead of time, which is creating a gap for things to change,” says Adria Baker, EdD, associate vice provost for international education and