Habersham County Schools staff can expect a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as this week. The Habersham County Health Department will begin administering vaccines to any interested staff member that works inside a Habersham school this Thursday. For staff that work outside of the schools, such as transportation staff, they can expect a vaccine Friday.
“We have the opportunity to offer vaccines to all of our school staff; not only our teachers, all of our school staff,” Crystal Holcomb, Habersham County Schools Director of Nursing and Health Services said. “The vaccine is here in Habersham County, the health department has notified me that we do have vaccines available, and we are moving forward with our vaccination plan beginning Thursday.”
This announcement comes on the heels of Gov. Kemp’s visit to the Habersham County vaccination site, where the site has just administered its 10,000th vaccine.
The Habersham County Health Department will administer these vaccines at schools, splitting into groups to cover two schools at once. The health department will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to staff at school, but if they would prefer to get the Moderna vaccine, the health department will arrange for them to receive it at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center. About one-third of Habersham Schools staff are interested in receiving the vaccine.
There’s hopeful news on the horizon almost one year after Habersham schools shut down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did Superintendent Cooper announce vaccine availability, but he announced the school system’s lowest COVID-19 numbers in months. Right now, there are five staff and five student COVID-19 cases.
“I’m really excited that the vaccine is here in Habersham county and available to our employees,” Cooper said.
You can view the full Mar. 8 Habersham County Board of Education meeting here.
