BATON ROUGE – Though there’s no set timeline right now, LSU is preparing for the chance to vaccinate as many students and staff as possible. 

LSU Interim-President Tom Galligan sent out a survey to students and staff asking if they would be interested in participating. The University received a large response. In just 24 hours 7,000 people participated, 4,500 of which were students. 

“I would [get vaccinated],” said freshman Mateo Valenzuela. “It seems like the answer almost to get back to normal.”

The goal, an LSU spokesperson says, is to vaccinate enough in the LSU community to return to all in-person classes in the fall semester. Right now, about half of the classes are still online. Some are hesitant. 

“I think it’s too early to get the vaccine right now. I say let them test it out more, and then maybe later when it’s safer,” said freshman Eddie Fisher. 

LSU has not run the breakdown on how many students and staff said they wish to get the vaccine at LSU. If majority want to, freshman Bellah Bultron said it would make her more comfortable with the entire student population returning to in-person classes. 

“We’d be able to feel safe around each other and not always wonder where has this person been, what have they been doing or have they been exposed,” said Bultron. 

LSU is working with the Louisiana Department of Health on getting the doses. They’re following LDH’s tier distribution process. Higher education is in the next group (Phase 1B, Tier 2) to be eligible to get the vaccine, but there hasn’t been a set date on when that will begin.