MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – School systems are now making plans to get coronavirus vaccines to students and families in the coming weeks.
Mon County Schools superintendent Eddie Campbell and staff have been working directly with the state to determine how vaccine will be available and on what timeline.
“This week we’ve been soliciting from our school community the families that are interested in having their students who are 16-years of age and older vaccinated,” Campbell said.
Campbell is hopeful clinic for students will begin by mid-April.
According to Campbell, only 20 percent of staff and faculty have declined to take the vaccine. Additionally, all first doses have been administered to people who have requested.
“Every employee in the system who has elected to take the vaccine has had at least the first shot,” Campbell said,” There’s a very small percentage right now that we need to finish up with their second shot.”
In Harrison County, coordinator of health services for Harrison County Schools Jody Sperry has been working with executive director Chad Bundy with the Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department on plans to use the local vaccine center.
“He has a very efficient system in place at the armory where they are doing an average of 1,000 shots-a-day,” Sperry said,” He has a schedule that is very open right now, he can usually get people in within a week of trying to make an appointment.”
Harrison County parents will begin receiving a form from the school that will guide them through making an appointment for the shot.
Family members of students will also be eligible.
“Those parents will schedule directly through that, the QR code, when they take a photo it takes them to scheduling portal,” Sperry said,” They schedule their own appointments, so whatever works with their schedule.”
Staff and faculty members with virus numbered up to five reports each week before that vaccine distribution began. Now, she says there is clear evidence that the vaccine is effective in the community.
“I’ve only had like five (COVID cases) since January, total staff members,” Sperry said,” We see proof that it works, some of the are living in a household with positive children and they’re not getting sick.”