GOSNELL, Ark. — Gosnell Public Schools in Arkansas will start vaccinating students next week.
Tyson Wallace, who runs Gosnell Drugs, says he’ll be at the high school auditorium Tuesday giving shots.
The Biden Administration and the CDC are now encouraging vaccines for students ages 16 and up. Pfizer is currently the only vaccine approved for the 16 to 18 age range.
“We’ve sent forms to the school,” Wallace said.
Those forms are now in the hands of parents, who have to sign off.
“I don’t think it’s a decision that only the parents need to make,” Wallace said, “The decision also needs to be made by the child if they want to be vaccinated.”
Wallace says it’s a pool of roughly 300 eligible students. Christie Marshall’s children are too young, but she had plenty to say about the vaccine.
“I’m not doing it! I’m not gonna lie to you. I ain’t doing it,” she said, “If [my children] were old enough, if they wanted to do it, they could do it.”
According to the NEA Town Courier, Gosnell Public Schools will only provide in-person learning next year.
“You know as well as I do the six foot rule isn’t going to work everywhere,” Wallace said.
That is why Wallace is encouraging any eligible student to get vaccinated. He says he vaccinated the school district’s employees back in January and claims about half of the teachers and staff got the vaccine.
He also says the second dose for students will be administered before school lets out for summer.
“Let’s get that shot in the arm and get it done,” Wallace said.
Wallace says he’s also vaccinating students in Blytheville next week.
WREG reached out to Shelby County Schools to see if it had any plans to vaccinate students, but officials told us they’re only sharing that information with students and parents at this time.
