Waterbury Prepares to Vaccine Teachers, Schools Staff

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“Everyone is just really excited that it’s finally happening,” Karlyn Fitzpatrick said.

After months of hybrid teaching and waiting in Waterbury, Kennedy High School teachers Karlyn Fitzpatrick and Danielle Byron are now signed up to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

“It’ll feel safer going into the building and having our kids back and hopefully our kids will feel safer coming back into the building,” Byron said.

Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary announcing a hotline Thursday dedicated to helping the district’s employees make a vaccine appointment. Teachers and caregivers in Connecticut will be eligible for the vaccine starting on Monday.

“1,600 teachers then we have the paras, then we have the administrators and then we have a custodial staff and then we have all the tutors so it’s about 4,000,” Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary said.

“There’s many options for the teachers,” Maura Esposito, director of the Chesprocott Health District, said.

Esposito says she’s working with three school districts and a private school to coordinate vaccinations.

“The school districts can have some choices either uploading their lists and having the teachers go find mass vaccination sites which are opening up all around and operating,” Esposito said.

The Connecticut Department of Health said in a memo earlier this week, “Not all health departments will need to serve as the primary vaccinator – education and childcare institutions may work with hospitals or other vaccinators, or enable their employees to go through clinics open to the public (e.g., pharmacies and mass vaccination sites).”

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