MANSFIELD — More than 1,200 of Richland County school employees got their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during Friday’s clinic at the Mid Ohio Educational Service Center.
MOESC Supt. Kevin Kimmel estimated that about 60 percent of educators from participating schools were vaccinated through the clinic.
What does this mean for area schools?
As far as day-to-day school operations go, things will look the same on Monday as they have in recent months. Students will still sit in spaced out desks. People will wear masks on the school bus and in the hallways. Assigned seating will continue to be the norm.
“Safety protocols are not going to change overnight,” said Lucas Supt. Brad Herman. “I anticipate we’ll maintain them as long as necessary.”
Other school superintendents echoed Herman’s response, saying that COVID-19 safety protocols will remain in place until guidance from local and state health officials changes.
“We will still wear masks, social distance when we can, practice frequent hand washing, all COVID protocols that we’ve practiced since opening our doors on Aug. 19, 2020,” said Ontario Supt. Lisa Carmichael. “We have followed all recommendations from our health department since the inception of the pandemic in March 2020, and we will continue to do so.”
Madison supt. Rob Peterson said he will wait until the state’s health orders and guidelines are dropped before considering a district-level changes.
“If the health orders and guidelines are rescinded, we would begin to consider and have conversations around possible changes,” he said.
Courtney Dill, a public health nursing supervisor at Richland Public Health, said masking and distancing are still important because they protect students and unvaccinated staff.
A CDC brief published March 8 states that “a growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to transmit COVID-19 to others. However, further investigation is ongoing.”
The brief also states that as long as there is continued community spread, the risk of COVID-19 infection in fully vaccinated people “cannot be completely eliminated.”
Nevertheless, the vaccine has one immediate benefit for many school staff members — a greater peace of mind when interacting with loved ones outside of school.
Todd Crill, a retired science teacher currently serving as a sixth grade math tutor at Malabar Intermediate, hasn’t seen his grandchildren in over a year.
“I think the vaccine ends up giving me more freedom,” Crill said. “I’ve got both shots now. I can have the opportunity to go down and see my grandchildren and just be able to get out a little bit more, see other friends.”
Aaron Williams, a safety specialist at Malabar, summed it up in one word — hope. Hope that the number of infections and deaths will go down and the community’s ability to live and thrive will go up. As a pastor, Williams has seen the toll isolation can take on people.
“Human beings are intrinsically social,” he said. “We belong to being social, we need interaction, we need connection to grow to be strong. Otherwise, we fall by the wayside.”
Teachers and staff at Pre-K through 12th grade schools who did not sign up for their school’s vaccine clinic will be given priority access at other vaccination sites during the month of March. For more information, visit the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program’s webpage.
