The Wolf administration provided an update Friday on the initiative to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to Pennsylvania teachers, school staff and child care workers.Officials hope all educators who want the one-dose Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine will receive their shots by the end of March.The state reports that more than 6,500 doses have been administered so far.Officials said there are 20 intermediate vaccination sites operating statewide, with eight more scheduled to open.Teachers and staff working with elementary education students, students with disabilities and English Learners are being vaccinated first.Educators have expressed concerns about the toll that closed schools have taken on students’ mental health and academic performance.“People are being disproportionately affected by the move from in-person instruction to remote learning, and it’s setting back a number of folks. Our hope is that as we begin to move to in-person learning, we begin to put in place what the recovery would look like to make up for some of those learning gaps that have occurred,” Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega said.Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield indicated the Intermediate Units being used to vaccinate teachers may eventually be used to vaccinate other eligible groups.
The Wolf administration provided an update Friday on the initiative to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to Pennsylvania teachers, school staff and child care workers.
Officials hope all educators who want the one-dose Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine will receive their shots by the end of March.
The state reports that more than 6,500 doses have been administered so far.
Officials said there are 20 intermediate vaccination sites operating statewide, with eight more scheduled to open.
Teachers and staff working with elementary education students, students with disabilities and English Learners are being vaccinated first.
Educators have expressed concerns about the toll that closed schools have taken on students’ mental health and academic performance.
“People are being disproportionately affected by the move from in-person instruction to remote learning, and it’s setting back a number of folks. Our hope is that as we begin to move to in-person learning, we begin to put in place what the recovery would look like to make up for some of those learning gaps that have occurred,” Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega said.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield indicated the Intermediate Units being used to vaccinate teachers may eventually be used to vaccinate other eligible groups.