More than 100,000 educators in Pa. vaccinated through state initiative

More than 100,000 educators have been vaccinated through a Pennsylvania initiative using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, state officials announced Tuesday.

A total of 102,161 school teachers and staff have gotten the vaccine since the initiative got started across Pennsylvania.

“Vaccinating more than 100,000 teachers and staff in less than two weeks is a big step to help students return to the classroom and stay in school,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement. “This helps to get more kids back to school where they want to be and eases the burdens on parents and communities. It’s also another sign of hope that the light at the end of this long tunnel is getting brighter.”

Wolf and state health officials announced the plan to vaccinate educators March 3, using the infrastructure of 28 intermediate units. The Pennsylvania National Guard and the company, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, are assisting with vaccine administration.

The goal, officials said at the time, was to have all teachers and school staff who wanted a vaccine inoculated by the end of March. Most intermediate units in Western Pennsylvania began vaccinating people in the second week of March.

Jason Conway, executive director of the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit, said the intermediate unit’s clinics began March 13 and concluded March 17. In that time period, 1,909 teachers and school staff were vaccinated, he said. The unit has 17 member school districts.

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit, which serves 42 suburban districts in Allegheny County, vaccinated 7,700 people in the first round of doses, a spokeswoman for the organization said. Another round of doses is tentatively scheduled for two days next week.

Wolf said rough estimates indicate about 200,000 people are included in the initiative, which includes not just teachers but aides, bus drivers, administrators and more. That does not account for educators who fell into the original 1A category or those who might decline the vaccine.

Vaccination of elementary school staff and those working with vulnerable students, which was considered priority, was completed two weeks ahead of schedule, according to a news release. Several intermediate units have completed vaccinations of middle and high school staff as well.

“This vaccine initiative has been a huge team effort and I commend everyone involved with achieving this milestone,” Wolf said. “Thank you to the educators, IUS, school districts, AMI and state agencies for rising to the challenge and working nights and weekends to make it happen.”