Some of San Diego County’s 80,000 teachers, school staff, and administrators will begin rolling up their sleeves on Saturday. The County of San Diego made the announcement Wednesday, that educators were included in a group of people eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination along with emergency responders and farm and food workers.
“I was excited. I actually messaged my parents who both just got the vaccine,” said Discovery Elementary School teacher Kate Crawford.
“We were very elated,” agreed Discovery’s principal Neil MacGaffey. “We’re excited because then, of course, it’s safer than it would be before.”
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A San Diego County Office of Education spokeswoman said all the schools in the county are broken into four groups called quartiles based on the State of California’s Health Places Index. The fourth quartile includes schools in the areas hit hardest by the virus. Those schools’ staffs will be the first in line Saturday. Then the third quartile will be allowed to make appointments and so on.
Discovery Elementary in Chula Vista is in the second quartile.
School faculty and staff will make appointments at a separate location from the sites already operated by the county and its partners.
“Whatever’s easier and more efficient,” said MacGaffey. “So, if they can get the educators vaccinated as soon as possible, we’re good with that.”
“It’s just a big sigh of relief and optimism about being able to come back,” said Crawford who just wrapped up administering a test to her sixth graders via an on-line portal.
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She said she can’t wait to see them in person.
“I will be dancing around,” she smiled. “I can’t wait.”
