SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Seminole County officials announced that next Wednesday they will be partnering with the school district to vaccinate teachers and staff that are over the age of 65 at Lyman High School.
Michael Lawrence, the communications officer for Seminole County Public Schools, said the district will be using its own facility, the cafeteria at Lyman High School, along with its nurses to administer the vaccine.
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Lawrence said 16 of the district’s 32 nurses will be administering the vaccine at that site.
There are currently 319 employees who qualify to receive the vaccine, and as of Thursday morning, 110 had made appointments for the event on Jan. 20, according to Lawrence.
“This really came about by us working with our local health department here in Seminole County. We have a great relationship with them,” Lawrence said.
But not every district has the same plan. Counties like Lake, Marion and Osceola have no vaccination events planned for school employees.
Just Thursday evening, Dr. Raul Pino from the Florida Department of Health in Orange County announced plans to work with Orange County Public Schools on Jan. 24 to vaccinate staff over the age of 65.
Volusia County School Board member Ruben Colon said, “There are very few essential staff who come in contact with so many folks in one day, in a small room.”
Colon said he has contacted the governor’s office, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County to get teachers prioritized when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine.
But he said vaccinating teachers in his district is still very much contingent on getting the doses.
Colon said while the commitment to provide the vaccine to teachers is there, the doses have to be available.