JAMES CITY COUNTY –Eligible students in Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (WJCC) are finally getting the chance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The school division initially announced plans to start a vaccination program for their students during a school board meeting on May 4 in anticipation of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine receiving approval for adolescents.
Plans were also announced during the meeting to relax quarantine requirements for students who may have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Symptom-free students who were in close contact with someone who tested positive will be able to return to school after 10 days without a test, whereas before it was 14 days without a test. Students without symptoms may return to school after seven days in quarantine if they receive a negative test administered on the fifth day of quarantine.
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Last Friday, May 14, WJCC held its first successful drive-thru clinic at Warhill High School (WHS), in partnership with the Williamsburg Drug Co. According to school division spokesperson, Eileen Cox, about 1,000 people pre-registered for a vaccine dose on the school division’s website.
There will be even more clinic days to come. Cox said that the division plans to have a clinic at each high school and middle school. On Monday, May 17 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. WHS students and students currently in virtual academy who are zoned for WHS, were able to receive doses. Then, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Lafayette High School students had the chance to get vaccinated as well.
Cox said that more clinics are still being organized and have yet to be confirmed. Parents should receive an email for when their child’s school will be having a clinic.
Students must be pre-registered online first and have a parent or guardian fill out and sign a consent form. At this time, students that are 12 years and older can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
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