Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has partnered with several local pediatrician volunteers to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine to educators in the Santa Clarita Valley.
On Saturday, several local pediatricians volunteered at Henry Mayo’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic to help administer the vaccine to educators in the Santa Clarita Valley.
“I am extremely impressed with how well-organized everything is and I love seeing the smiles on the teacher’s faces knowing they’re one step closer to feeling more comfortable working in the schools again,” said Dr. Mona Shah, one of the local pediatricians volunteering to administer vaccinations at the clinic.
Shah stated that it has been a great experience “seeing different people come in from all over Santa Clarita” and that making the vaccination process easier “has really helped me feel proud of being a physician in the community.”
Private vaccination clinics have been set up for district employees in Santa Clarita and are sent direct links to make their COVID-19 vaccination appointment. After receiving the first dose, patients are monitored by registered nurses for 15 minutes to safely ensure there are no reactions and can then sign up for their second appointment in exactly three weeks.
Henry Mayo has played a key role in the vaccination of Santa Clarita educators over the past week. On Monday, the hospital administered the first dose to Saugus High School teacher Jim Klipfel, marking one the first educators in the Santa Clarita Valley to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I am immensely grateful for the healthcare community and policy makers coming together for us and I would ask that both teams continue to work hard to get the vaccine out,” Klipfel said at the time.
On Friday, Dr. Paul Simon, Health Science Officer with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, announced that a large increase in the number of COVID-19 vaccines had been delivered to L.A. County for next week.
However, appointment dates at large-scale vaccination sites such as Six Flags Magic Mountain would now only allow appointments on specific days for specific sectors, with educators set for Saturdays.
“We are so close. I urge everyone to continue to stay disciplined,” Simon said. “Wearing face masks and physically distancing is recommended (…) remember we are all in this together.”
See Related: First Santa Clarita Educator Administered COVID-19 Vaccine
Despite this, Henry Mayo officials expressed Saturday that educator appointments would not be limited to Saturdays, and that they had in fact extended their usual hours to accommodate educators.
“Hospital hours have shifted to allow educators to receive the vaccination in the evening after they are done teaching,” said Sarah Stoddard, a Registered Nurse and Clinic Lead at Henry Mayo. “In three weeks, we will run clinics exclusively for educators at night and on the weekend, and that’s it. Twenty minutes, and the process is done.”
As the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be rolled out to educators, the majority of elementary schools in the Santa Clarita Valley have begun returning to in-person instruction. Meanwhile, officials with the William S. Hart Union High School District hope to return students to the classroom by the end of the month, pending Los Angeles County’s status in the state’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” re-opening plan.
Ahead of the latest meeting of the Hart District’s Governing Board, 94 public comments were submitted regarding the potential return to in-person instruction, over two-thirds of which were from teachers asking the board to delay re-opening.
“Please do not rush the re-opening until teachers can be fully inoculated,” one wrote. “We’re so close, but the March 22 date still puts people at risk as our vaccines will not be in full effect. We’ve waited so long to return, please do not make the mistake of putting people’s lives at risk by trying to force a re-opening a few weeks too soon.”
Registration and a list of eligible identification are available here. Vaccinations are free, and residents are not required to provide their immigration status.
Nearly 400 sites in L.A. County are administering the vaccines, including federally qualified health clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, and large capacity vaccination sites.
Check the Vaccinate L.A. County Website or follow @LAPublicHealth on social media for more information on when and where people in these sectors can get vaccinated.
For information specific to registering for vaccinations, as well as further information for Santa Clarita Valley residents, visit this page.
Ed Note: Michael Brown contributed to this story.
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