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A handful of NC school districts have begun vaccinating employees
While most teachers have to wait for their COVID-19 shots, a few districts have offered vaccines to their staff.
Brian Gordon
USA TODAY NETWORK
With many North Carolina teachers still weeks, if not months, away from receiving COVID-19 vaccines, a few districts have already helped give shots to hundreds of staff members.
On Friday, Jackson County Public Schools in Western North Carolina dismissed students early so staff could get vaccinated. Since last week, public school employees in Rutherford County, Swain County, and Union County received their first vaccine doses as well. In the Triad, Davie County Schools will make shots available to employees on Wednesday.
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About 1,000 employees of Union County Public Schools are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 Friday and Saturday, an option that s not yet available to most frontline workers in the state.
The school district started working with the Union County Health Department earlier this month to schedule vaccinations for staff who are 50 and older. That’s almost 2,000 of the district’s 5,000 employees, according to UCPS spokeswoman Tahira Stalberte.
In mid-January, North Carolina changed its priority list to put people 65 and older ahead of younger frontline workers, including teachers and support staff. Stalberte said the district and the health department agreed to stick with the plan that had already been laid out for school staff.