FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — As the coronavirus vaccine becomes more accessible, teachers and staff in Virginia’s largest school system will soon be able to receive it.
Saturday marks the first day of vaccine appointments for school employees in Fairfax County.
Inova Health System partnered with the Fairfax County Health Department to start vaccinating local teachers and staff. All public and private school employees will have the opportunity to receive their first dose of the vaccine within the next three weeks.
It’s been a busy month for the Inova Health System. A spokesperson for the hospital said they’ve administered more than 35,000 doses during the past four weeks.
On Wednesday alone, they administered 2500 vaccines. They expect to be able to give out 3,000 vaccines a day moving forward.
“It’s been very gratifying. It’s the beginning of the end hopefully of this terrible pandemic and I think it provides great hope to be able to give something back to everyone in regards to helping protect everyone,“ said Pediatric Infectious Disease Doctor Rebecca Levorson.
Now many parents are wondering when their kids will be able to receive the vaccine. Currently, you need to be 16 years in order to receive the Pfizer vaccine and 18 years and older for the Moderna vaccine.
“My greatest hope is that during the next 6 to 9 months we will have that data in kids so that we will be able to expand to the other 22% of the population, the children who really need to be protected also,” said Levorson.
Levorson said there are currently clinical trials happening to look at expanding the age range.
“We want to get as many people vaccinated as possible. Get as many children who can participate in the clinical trials for vaccines so that we know they work just as well on kids, as in adults,” Levorson.