SALEM — Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stephen Zrike has unveiled a plan for how the district will begin to vaccinate students, ages 5 to 11, now that this age group has been authorized for vaccination by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Zrike was joined by Chelsea Banks, the school district’s chief of opportunity and response, to outline the plan to the School Committee this past Monday. The district will begin to hold vaccination clinics for students, ages 5 to 11, next week, according to a notice posted on the Salem Public Schools website.
The Pfizer vaccine will be administered at these clinics, which will be held at school sites across the district. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the vaccine for this age group this week, which followed FDA authorization on Oct. 29.
The dates for the Salem clinics have not been announced yet; parents are advised to check their ParentSquare accounts for available appointments.
“We know that this is the only way that we can ensure the health and safety of our community,” said Zrike.
Zrike said getting more students vaccinated is the only way to move beyond the “annoying” COVID-19 mitigation strategies that schools have had to adhere to this year, such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
“We want to move away from that in time,” he said. “And the only way to do that is to continue to push vaccinations for everyone in the community.”
According to the notice on the school website, more than 70 percent of Massachusetts youth between the ages of 12 and 17 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, vaccination rates for that age group in Salem are lower than both the state average and comparable surrounding communities, such as Lynn, Peabody, and Beverly. As of early this week, 66 percent of students between the ages of 12 and 15 had received at least one shot; that number drops to 47 percent for students between the ages of 16 and 19, according to data presented by Banks and Zrike.
The district plans to hold vaccination clinics three weeks apart, in order for students to receive their first and second shots in the recommended time frame. Students, ages 5 to 11, will receive the authorized one-third Pfizer shot. Older students seeking vaccination will receive the full dose.
“The COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective against infection, serious illness, hospitalization, and death,” the district wrote in a notice to families. “Getting your child vaccinated will help limit COVID-19 spread in our school and community, and it can help keep your child and their schoolmates in school.”
