HUNTSVILLE, Texas — When it comes to COVID-19 and its vaccines, there is a lot of information. A new national COVID committee is being formed to help stop the spread of false information and make sure people are getting the facts, especially when it comes to the vaccine.
Karla Moreno, a Sam Houston State University student, has been chosen as a student representative for the State of Texas Higher Education and will serve on the Campus COVID-19 Vaccine Initiative, or CoVAC. Her appointment makes Sam Houston State University the only Texas university represented on the committee.
Moreno said she wants to make sure college campus communities across the nation understand the COVID-19 vaccine so they can make an informed choice.
"The goal of the committee is to build vaccine confidence and combat vaccine misinformation in campus communities," said Moreno. She will be working with other students from around the country on a toolkit that students can access on college campuses.
Moreno is a first-generation student and public health major. She said she wants to be a family nurse practitioner. This past spring semester, Moreno worked with the SHSU Student Health Center at COVID testing kiosk sites and helped students understand why staying healthy during the pandemic was so important.
Moreno is a native of Blessing. She said working on CoVAC will not only be a way to help others but it helps her prepare for the healthcare workforce.
"Karla was one of my outstanding student workers," said Erica Bumpurs. Bumpers is the director of Sam Houston State's Student Health Center. "“I’m certain she will do an excellent job, on behalf of SHSU and our state, to help improve COVID-19 vaccine initiatives on college campuses.”