Coachella Valley school districts forge effort to get staff vaccinated
On Wednesday Palm Springs Unified School District held its first vaccine clinic for employees to receive Johnson & Johnson vaccines. It was one the first events in the Coachella Valley where Johnson & Johnson vaccines were administered. The vaccines were distributed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the District Service Center in Palm Springs. They were provided to more than 150 district employees, which includes teachers and staff. The vaccines have been provided from a Rite Aid in Desert Hot Springs.
"This is determined according to the CDC vulnerability index," said Rite Aid Pharmacy regional leader, Hendrik Vanderlinde.
"I feel great, when it was administered it was just like a flu shot," said Sofia Yanez, Palm Springs Unified School District office specialist.
Several employees walked into the service center throughout the day for their turn at the single-dose shot.
"It’s only one shot, which I appreciate because I don’t like needles," said Bella Vista Elementary School teacher, Jason Moore, Ed.D.
The clinic is just like what others have looked like throughout Riverside County.
"Everybody has an appointment time so they’re coming in and they’re assigned appointment times. They come in and get their vaccine and they wait 15 minutes just to make sure they’re not having any adverse reactions," said PSUSD Nursing supervisor, Laura Dyson.
The district has been working with local providers to determine when and how many vaccines would be available.
"If I can get more allocations from other pharmacies, I will turn it around just like I did this weekend," said PSUSD Director of Risk Management, Renee Brunelle.
The district also held on-site COVID-19 testing for employees and dependents between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The testing would be covered by private insurance, PSUSD, or the Cares Act.
On April 12 PSUSD plans to have its first round of students return to school from TK- 2nd grade. On April 19, grades 3-5 will also be returning for hybrid learning.
For Desert Sands Unified School District, the return date is also approaching quickly. On Monday, preschool students through 5th grade will be welcomed back.
"The numbers are really going down and I think we'll have an allotment very soon to be able to provide the vaccine to the people that have yet to get them that are on our list," said Desert Sands Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services, Laura Fisher.
A majority of staff at DSUSD has expressed interest in getting the vaccine, according to Fisher. "Out of our 2,729 employees we had 2,221."
Fisher said they have been waiting to see when they will be able to get their first allotment, and have been ready since January.
"We have the clinic set up and ready to go," said Fisher.
On Thursday Coachella Valley Unified School District is also holding a vaccine event for "certified and classified staff." That clinic will be at Coachella Valley High School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and would be limited to the first 500 employees with appointments.
A statement from CVUSD read in part: we are working with Walgreens who reached out to us to let us know that they have 750 doses of the newly approved Johnson and Johnson vaccine that are available to our staff. We are looking to schedule that vaccination clinic next week at Desert Mirage High School and Coachella Valley High School.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that more than 200,000 teachers, school staff and child care workers have been vaccinated, which he said exceeded the state's goal of administering 75,000 vaccines per week. The state dedicated 10 percent of vaccine supply to K-12 school staff and child care workers, while also targeting communities that have been "disproportionately impacted by the pandemic."
