There's a new effort to get students and parents in the San Diego Unified School District vaccinated.
A mobile vaccine bus is making its debut this week, with a stop at the district’s headquarters in Hillcrest Friday, followed by stops at five schools next week. The goal of the van going from school to school is to make getting the vaccine easy, at a place where parents and students feel comfortable and connected, organizers say.
“Let’s say a school calls and says, 'Hey we've got a lot of … families who want to get their kids vaccinated.' We could quickly adjust and get the van over there,” said SDUSD Board President Richard Barrera.
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The van will come to schools on a scheduled basis, with the priority now being middle and high schools. The reason is that under the district’s vaccine mandate, students 16 and older must be fully vaccinated before they can go to school in-person next semester. Barrera said more than 70% of students in this age group have received the first dose. Almost 70% of students in this age group have received two doses.
A good foundation, Barrera says, and bound to get better if the experience with other required vaccines is any indication.
“It usually gets right up to the deadline,” said Barrera. “That’s kind of when we start to have large numbers of people who go ahead and get vaccinated.”
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The vaccine van will offer first and second dose shots of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Johnson and Johnson vaccines, and booster shots. The vaccines will be available, not just to students, but to their parents and members of the community as well. One does not need an appointment, but if under the age of 18, one does need parent permission. Either a parent or guardian has to come with the student to the mobile van, or a parent has signed a parental consent form at the student’s home school where the mobile van is set up.
On Monday, the van will go to Morse High School; Tuesday at Bell Middle School; Wednesday at Crawford high; Thursday at Mann Middle School; and Friday at San Diego High.
