JANESVILLE, Wis. – Nearly 1300 staff members from the School District of Janesville were given the option to take the COVID-19 vaccine Friday.
Students at every level got the day off of school, while teachers and other faculty members took turns getting shots at Mercyhealth in Janesville.
“I’m very excited that we’re having this opportunity to get vaccinated so early and get back to normal hopefully sometime soon,” said Ahlia Dupree, who teaches math at Janesville Craig. “I was just really excited knowing that we had got this chance. I know the medical professionals deserve to get it first…It’s just thrilling to hopefully keep us as safe as possible and keep our kids safe.”
Mercyhealth staff said that by 12:30 Friday, they had vaccinated roughly 650 SDJ employees. While not every employee chose to get the shot, Dupree said she was glad to have the chance. She’s hopeful that it’ll mean in person learning is here to stay.
“I am so excited,” she said. “Honestly it makes my life so much easier, but it’s so much better for the kids. Getting them something consistent to keep learning.”
When it was announced last week that SDJ staff would get the shot, Wisconsin DHS said it might have been too early- and that teachers were not yet cleared to receive the vaccine.
However, Mercyhealth says their priority is to use the doses they get each week – not waste them.
“The vaccine does not provide value unless it gets into someone’s arms,” said Don Janczak, System Director of Pharmacy at Mercyhealth. “If we’ve got vaccine in the freezer, it’s not effective. It’s only effective when you get it and vaccinate it into an individual. We had vaccines in a freezer. We needed to get it into someone’s arms.”
Janczak says any additional shots from today’s vaccinations will go to those 65 and older in phase 1B.
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