received: Jan 18, 2022 at 12:55 AM
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Monongalia County Schools will continue to expand on it’s COVID-19 vaccine program.
Deputy Superintendent Donna Talerico detailed their upcoming vaccine booster offering. Booster shots, are expected to be available start in February.
“We are certainly encouraging everyone to consider vaccinations is they have not done so,” said Talerico. “We will be offering our clinics next month for our twelve to eighteen year-olds,” she said.
The vaccine booster, will be provided in participation with Monongalia County schools, the Monongalia County Health Department, and local pharmacies who are already providing booster vaccines. These partnerships, continue from previous vaccine offerings from the school system, when they were rolled out to employees and students in 2021.
“Different pharmacies in the area are offering the booster to twelve to eighteen year-olds, and we encourage everyone to get that,” said Talerico.
Much like previous COVID-19 vaccine clinics held by the Monongalia County school system, the booster vaccines will be offered and given to students based on parent approval. Anyone who signs up their child for the booster clinics, will be able to be there with their child as it is given.
“If they best believe it is appropriate for their family, but we’re going to do our part and bring that back to the schools,” she said.
As of this writing, Monongalia County Schools reported 154 active cases across the system, 116 are from students, 39 are from staff at the start of 2022. When vaccinations were being offered by the school system, over seventy-five percent of Monongalia County School System staff has been vaccinated according to Board of Education officials. With the COVID-19 pandemic still active, Monongalia County schools will continue to promote ways to help make students and the community safe.
“Certainly the school health team is vigilant, as am I and Dr. Campbell,” said Talerico. “We’ll continue to do those things that we believe have helped us navigate all of this,” she said.