MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Wednesday is a big day for teachers across Shelby County as educators can now get vaccinated against COVID19.
This comes as in-person learning is set to start back up again for some students Monday.
While good news for those who have been patiently waiting, it will prove to be a monumental undertaking. The Shelby County School District said it expects to administer the first dose to 11,000 teachers by the end of the first week of March.
SCS hoped to vaccinate 2,000 educators Wednesday, and oughly 6,000 doses are expected to be administered by the end of this week.
The rollout includes SCS teachers and those at municipal schools. Lakeland, Arlington and Millington teachers will get the shot on Friday while Germantown teachers will get their first dose on March 5.
Hundreds of teachers have already received their first dose. That’s because the county had vaccine that was about to expire and needed to be used immediately during last week’s storms. But Wednesday was the official start of vaccinations for teachers.
Shots will be given at the SCS administration building and other locations.
Armani Alexander, a fifth-grade math teacher at Treadwell Elementary, said he was initially nervous about going back into the classroom. But, he said he was eager to see his students in person again, and they are excited to see their teachers.
“To be back in that building, to just lay my eyes on them is going to be super, super exciting for me,” Alexander said.
The district started planning for the mass vaccination event in the last week. They used recent snow days to prep and run-through the process.
A second dose will be required weeks later for the vaccine to be fully effective. Some teachers are worried as in-classroom learning will resume in five days, before they have the opportunity to get that second dose.
Some teachers protested outside SCS headquarters demanding they be given the option to continue working from home. SCS Superintendent Dr. Joris Ray said he’s committed to the safety of teachers saying the district has spent millions of dollars on protective equipment and supplies.
As of Wednesday, Shelby County is in Phase 1B of the vaccination plan which includes teachers, child care staff, support staff for first responders and anyone over the age of 65. Those in group 1A can still get their shots as well.