Sonoma County begins immunizing teachers and school staff

David Cordero has spent much of his working life lately installing plexiglass barriers, washing stations and other safety measures at the Santa Rosa School where he works in the maintenance department. On Monday, those safety measures extended to a quick hit to his left deltoid.

“It didn’t hurt. Everything was fine, ”he says.

Cordero, who works at the Sonoma Country day school, was one of 100 people who were given the first of two doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine on Monday at an inoculation clinic set up by the office of Sonoma County Education which targets, among other things, the school. day care staff and providers.

For educators, the focus on vaccinating teachers and school staff marks an important step towards reopening campuses after nearly a year of distance learning for the 68,000 students transitioning from Kindergarten to Grade 12. county year.

“Everyone is so excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Jeff Harding, a retired Healdsburg Unified School District superintendent who was asked to oversee the SCOE immunization program. “It’s an important step forward in getting all of our students back into the classroom and it’s been 11 months, and the faster we can get everyone vaccinated the better.

As educators lined up for vaccinations, the county took a critical second milestone on Monday: For the fifth day in a row, the 7-day adjusted case rate per 100,000 was below 25, according to public health officials . The state is requiring counties to meet this threshold for five consecutive days to reduce pre-kindergarten to sixth-graders to modified in-person learning.

“We know that many parents would like to have the opportunity to return to in-person teaching for their children,” Dr Sundari Mase, county public health official, said at a press briefing Monday. “We hope we can do this if our case rate remains low.”

In addition to the county reaching the case rate threshold, schools and districts must have their COVID safety plans approved by county and state public health officials. About 15 security plans are currently being reviewed by county officials, according to Adam Radtke, an assistant county attorney.

While the head of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said vaccinations are not necessary to reopen schools, setting up a dedicated clinic for educators, school staff and health care providers day should help discuss with union officials how and when to return to campus.

The gradual start of the SCOE clinic at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park on Monday is expected to accelerate on Tuesday and through the weekend, from 100 doses given on Monday to around 300 per day at the weekend for a total of 1,100 .shots, says Harding.

SCOE officials are pushing for more vaccine distribution in the coming weeks, but the amount depends on what is given to the county and how it is then distributed to various suppliers.

“It really depends on the supply and the health department and whether they are getting enough of it that they can pass it on to us,” Harding said. “We are optimistic.”

But county officials, as they have done since the early days of vaccinations, urged patience. The needs in Sonoma County and elsewhere far exceed the amount of vaccine that has been sent to the county.

“The math is against us,” Dr Urmila Shende, the county’s vaccine chief, said at a press briefing Monday. “Everyone is facing a vaccine shortage.”

SCOE initially targets school employees aged 70 and over as well as educators of all ages who are currently in direct contact with students, including teachers, babysitters, administrative support staff and food service workers. . Instructors from Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University who teach in-person classes are also eligible.

Priority Group 2 will expand to include all Kindergarten and Grade 6 staff – priority priority levels in Governor Gavin Newsom’s Safe Schools for All campaign to return to in-person teaching .

On Monday, Michele Edwards of Santa Rosa felt relief. Edwards had to drop his eight-child daycare business to two because clients moved or no longer sent their children to his home operation. Getting the first dose of the vaccine was a step in the right direction for her and for her business.

“I was expecting this. I’m excited, ”Edwards said moments after receiving his shot. “I will feel more free. We will still have to wear masks and stay safe… but I can breathe a little easier knowing that the vaccine will hopefully help.

So also for Cordero. Its campus, the Sonoma Country Day School, received a state waiver to return to in-person teaching in November. He installed physical security equipment, but the vaccine was different.

“It’s exciting that we are finally releasing the vaccine,” Cordero said. “They told us to pick the (appointment) earlier. He was available, so I came today.

Harding said the system is ready to make more daily appointments – after all, there are 17,200 people in Sonoma County who work in schools or daycares.

“I think we’re going to see an increase in supply,” he said. “It was 1,100 this week and next week we hope that number will be much higher.”

You can contact Editor-in-Chief Kerry Benefield at 707-526-8671 or [email protected]. On Twitter @benefield.