If your school asked you, would you admin COVID vax on campus

[jnemartin]

My admin is throwing this around - trying to become a vax site for our school community. Ultimately, I know it will never happen because things are too disorganized, but my initial response was like... WOW!. Could they add one more thing to my COVID plate LOL. 

Also, I get about 2-4 offers a week to admin COVID vax at pharmacies for $50-$75/hour... so no. I will not do it for free. 

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

5 minutes ago, jnemartin said:

What my administration is discussing is applying to be a vaccination site. So the state/county would give us an allotment of vaccine (and possibly syringes?) and we figure out the rest. Well.... I figure out the rest. 

The state and county in my area have multiple 24/7 free vax sites available. Teachers were in priority group 1B, immediately after healthcare workers and my staff is fully vaxxed except for 5 who need second dose and two who refused. 

 

They want me to do this vax site for the STUDENTS (and maybe parents?). LOL. 

What I should have mentioned - a critical piece of info - is that they want me to vax students. 

We don't even have an approved vaccine/dosing for children. 

Not to mention that onsite storage of vaccinations is a BIG deal, involving monitoring, proper security and storage and an emergency plan if refrigeration is somehow disrupted by power outages or anything like that...

I would with some support.  Our district has had students back all school year and I want to see our teachers get vaccinated and feel safer and like they matter.  There has been such push to get the kids back to school and seems very little focus on helping the teachers have access to the vaccine. Our state just added teachers to the list beginning on March 11th but they still need to actually FIND an appointment available to be able to get one.

[guest464345]

Our district set up a vaccine POD for staff, but it was run by a pharmacy in partnership with Public Health (K-12 staff are prioritized in my state) - similar to how we do employee flu clinics. Pharmacy deals with vaccine storage, tracking, administration and documentation, and the district provided tables, space, some volunteers to help with traffic etc. Worked well.

They did ask for school nurses to to do the post vaccine observation. Buuuut... *unpaid* on  weekends, not even given comp time. Nope. They come up with money to pay other staff to work lunch duty or special weekend events or athletic events - it's a serious responsibility and they can pay me too! (Some of my coworkers signed up, however)

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Yep. I'm actually looking into setting this up, but it is a PROCESS.

My school doc and I actually talked about getting ahead for possible COVID vaccine clinics for the older kids on Saturdays in the Fall, when we predict they will get approval. My school is grades 5 and up, and Moderna has a 12-17 aged trial ongoing now.

My school is willing to pay me and any nurses I need to do this. And my school doc is also willing be on site and even vaccinate (for free!). So I'm intrigued about it.

Right now, I'm helping staff get appointments in my state. I scored 13 appointments via CVS for staff this weekend that will happen between now and next week ;).

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

I probably would because I'm a pushover, but yes more money needed and probably a sub nurse in my office because I can only do one job at a time!

[tining, BSN, RN]

More $$ = yes

No $$ = NO

[FixerofUhohs]

I wouldn't do it. I worked mass Covid vaccine clinics before the kids came back to school, and Flare is correct on the "too many moving parts." We had a whole system set up to deal with observation of post vaccine and dealing with reactions, and it involved 2-3 nurses and some paramedics. Sounds like too much for one person. 

[jnemartin, BSN, RN]

2 hours ago, JenTheSchoolRN said:

Yep. I'm actually looking into setting this up, but it is a PROCESS.

My school doc and I actually talked about getting ahead for possible COVID vaccine clinics for the older kids on Saturdays in the Fall, when we predict they will get approval. My school is grades 5 and up, and Moderna has a 12-17 aged trial ongoing now.

My school is willing to pay me and any nurses I need to do this. And my school doc is also willing be on site and even vaccinate (for free!). So I'm intrigued about it.

Right now, I'm helping staff get appointments in my state. I scored 13 appointments via CVS for staff this weekend that will happen between now and next week ;).

for staff or students? my staff is vaxxed. they want this for the students

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

24 minutes ago, jnemartin said:

for staff or students? my staff is vaxxed. they want this for the students

I wonder if when the vaccine is approved for under 16 the health dept will step in to help with vaccinating students in school.  This is what happened in IL during the H1N1 vaccination.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, jnemartin said:

for staff or students? my staff is vaxxed. they want this for the students

Realistically in the time I need to get it set up? For students, not staff.

Staff are eligible now in my state and right now the fastest why to get them vaccinated is through CVS or a mass vax site. 

[Nurse Trini]

They did a mass COVID vaccination in our parking lot.    It was run by one of the local hospitals (large healthcare conglomerate).    They asked if anybody wanted to volunteer for traffic control, etc... but all the actual medical staff came from the corporate folk.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Was asked if I would and I said yes as we thought it would be in collaboration with our local public health. But we are now sending teachers to local hospital and I'll go for 2 days. Time after contract hours will be reimbursed, so easy yes for me and it's a professional day.