McHenry Co. Educators Will Soon Receive Vaccine For COVID-19

Press release from the McHenry County Health Department:

WOODSTOCK, Ill. – The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is entering into a unique and forward-thinking intergovernmental plan to begin inoculating school personnel against COVID-19, an important step to protect educators and children as schools reopen for in-person learning.

With the Illinois Department of Public Health allowing the inoculation of senior citizens and educators under Phase 1b of its vaccination plan, the MCDH is tentatively looking to begin inoculating school staff members starting the third or fourth week of February, dependent upon vaccine availability. The MCDH and County Administration have been working closely with McHenry County’s school superintendents and school nurses for several weeks to craft a vaccination plan.

“We’ve collaborated with schools since the start of the pandemic, and this is a visible example of the type of work we have been doing behind the scenes,” Public Health Administrator Melissa Adamson said. “This type of collaboration benefits not only the individuals in Phase 1b, but also the entire county. Many people are interested in receiving the vaccine as soon as possible, and this helps speed along the process to get us to those next groups in line as soon as possible.”

The MCDH announced earlier this week that it would prioritize its Phase 1b initial doses for seniors ages 65 and older, and is working with local hospital systems and private pharmacies such as Jewel-Osco, which agreed to administer the vaccines to seniors who enrolled through the county or are part of their health system. MCDH will continue to vaccinate those who enroll in Phase 1a, which includes health-related staff in school districts. Once the county finishes administering the second dose to the remaining front-line health care workers and assisted living residents in Phase 1a – which should be nearly complete by next week – it will then expand to begin inoculating educators.

Under the plan crafted by county and school officials, Woodstock North High School and Huntley High School will serve as the primary points of distribution for vaccinating educators, with the help of the MCDH Medical Reserve Corps, school nurses and qualified volunteers from across the county.

“Our staff members have been hungry all year to get our schools open to best meet the needs of all of our students,” Huntley School District 158 Superintendent Scott Rowe said. “For that to be possible we have to protect our staff, and the vaccine is an important next step in meeting our responsibility to do that.”

The plan is dependent on availability of the vaccine from state and federal sources. The county and MCDH would like to thank the citizens of McHenry County for their patience and understanding.

This press release was produced by the McHenry County Health Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.