School systems across Georgia are preparing for March 8: That’s the day teachers and staff become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. To make the shots more accessible, some local school systems, including Habersham and White, are working with their county health departments to train school nurses to administer shots.
Approximately 400 school employees in Habersham County have expressed an interest in getting vaccinated, says director of school nursing Crystal Holcomb.
“I have asked that the health department provide the vaccines at each of our schools to reduce time away from the classroom for teachers and other staff,” Holcomb says. She adds, using school nursing staff to help administer those vaccines “will allow more appointments for school employees to be scheduled.”
White County has put together a similar plan. Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett told school board members last week the system is working with their health department’s nurse manager, Cindy King, to prepare.
“The majority of our school nurses have gone through the program and Cindy has signed off on them, so they will be able to give the vaccine,” Burkett said during the February 25 board meeting. She estimates 80% of the teachers in White County will take the COVID vaccine.
Stephens County Schools are still “in the planning phase for offering vaccines to our staff,” says superintendent Daniel Oldham. Administrators are working with Stephens County Hospital to coordinate their effort.
The largest school system in Northeast Georgia has already scheduled two clinics for teachers and staff the week they become eligible to receive the vaccine. Hall County School Superintendent Will Schofield announced their system will hold two clinics March 11-12, during which time they’ll administer Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine. Those clinics will be run in conjunction with District 2 Public Health.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Public and private school educators and staff – grades pre-K through 12 – will be allowed to get the vaccine starting next Monday. Governor Kemp said his team decided to include them based on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine progress and increased production of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Since Kemp’s announcement on Thursday, the FDA has granted emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine.
State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Richard Woods says he is “thrilled” that the vaccine protocol has expanded to include teachers. He points out the impact it will have on all school stakeholders.
“This is an important step in ensuring all Georgia students have access to in-person instruction and ensuring the safety of students, staff, and families,” Woods says. “It has been an incredibly challenging year for educators and families alike, but I believe we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The move comes at a time when the number of new infections in Georgia and across much of the nation is in sharp decline. The decreased community spread is evident in area schools where the number of active viral infections has significantly dropped since the post-holiday surge in January.
In their most recent weekly reports, White County Schools reported one case of COVID-19 last week, while Stephens County reported two. Habersham had four active student cases and six staff absences. (Habersham no longer reports active staff cases on its website)
Hall County has over 25,500 students and staff across 37 schools. As of February 26, only 41 were absent from class due to COVID-19.
Fighting complacency
Those numbers are encouraging, but health officials caution against becoming complacent. They urge people to continue to follow mitigation measures – wear masks, wash hands, and observe social distance. They also encourage people to get vaccinated.
Some local educators have already heeded that call.
“Our employees who are age 65 and over have already been offered the vaccine, and approximately 30 staff have received their first dose, thanks to MedLink Habersham,” says Holcomb. “They are scheduled for their second dose soon.”
When the opportunity opens up for the rest of the staff who choose to be vaccinated to receive the vaccine, Holcomb says she and her staff will be ready.
WRWH News contributed to this report. This article has been updated to reflect the latest information from Stephens and Hall County Schools.
