Philly teachers vaccination program is well underway

The vaccination program launched by the City and the Children´s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is underway. According to NBC Philadelphia, as of Wednesday 23, more than 1,000 teachers had received their first coronavirus vaccination.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said as many as 9,000 doses a week could be set aside for teachers. “We are committing to as many doses as CHOP needs to vaccinate our teachers,” he said.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia started its vaccination program at one of its seven sites on Monday. Six more clinics will be set up at schools in the coming weeks.

“Our goal is to complete the two-dose vaccination series for all student-facing personnel in the city within 6 weeks,” Dr. Ron Keren, CHOP’s chief medical officer, told reporters in a news conference.

The doses are available to educators in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s schools, charter schools, and Independence Mission Schools, along with public educators. CHOP is focusing on vaccinating staff who are already working in buildings first.

You can read: City and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will vaccinate teachers

The City of Philadelphia official website stated that the program includes staff of all District, charter, independent and parochial schools, as well as at childcare centers and pre-K providers.

Extremely thankful

“The launch of this vaccination program is an important addition to extensive work the School District, charter schools, and childcare providers have already undertaken to safely reopen classrooms throughout Philadelphia,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “As we approach the one-year anniversary of our public schools moving to virtual learning, getting our children back into schools for in-person learning is paramount. We are extremely thankful for the support of everyone at Children’s Hospital in this effort.”

“Today, and every day, we are committed to supporting the needs of all those who care for children,” said Ron Keren, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “As healthcare providers, we look forward to providing COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible school personnel and aiding the City in this important effort.”

For more information about the vaccination program, please visit chop.edu/covid-19-vaccine-program/school-personnel.