GU Chief of Staff Charlita Shelton Featured in DOH Vaccination Video
SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga University’s COVID-19 compliance officer is featured in the latest installment of a state Department of Health video series whose purpose is to help overcome vaccine hesitancy.
In the 30-second piece, Dr. Shelton, who is also chief of staff to GU President Thayne McCulloh, makes note of how the university’s namesake, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, died at a young age after contracting the plague while caring for victims of the disease.
The former Marine also takes note of the campus’s neighbors.
“In the Logan Neighborhood, we do have individuals who are marginalized that may be afraid to get the vaccine,” she says, adding that the best way to keep the community safe is to get vaccinated.
In a longer version of the video, Shelton points out how Gonzaga partnered with three local health entities to get more than 8,000 residents vaccinated at a campus clinic over an 18-day period. It’s all an extension of “cura personalis,” caring for the whole person, a hallmark of all Jesuit-sponsored works, she says.
“It’s a privilege for me to highlight Gonzaga’s efforts and to convey our commitment to focus on the importance of vaccinations in bringing this pandemic under control,” said Shelton.
Shelton is part of DOH’s campaign of trusted advisers whose messages underscore the need for personal and public responsibility in the face of COVID-19. She joins other educators, health care providers and faith leaders – including Jesuit Fathers Tom Lamanna, of St. Aloysius Parish and JK Adams of Gonzaga Preparatory School.
Gonzaga’s own progress on vaccination reflects Shelton’s commitment to “Together We Will,” the theme of the Department of Health series. The school’s vaccination rates (as of Sept. 20, 2021) are as follows:
- 94% of 6,192 students are fully vaccinated, with 2% in progress and 4% with exemptions
- 88% of 1,696 employees are fully vaccinated, 1% are in progress and 6% have submitted exemptions.
“We are overwhelmed by our students’ commitment to come back to campus vaccinated,” Shelton said. “We are tops in the region for compliance. Go ZAGS!”