AACPS Vaccinates Younger Students, Okays Small Crowds At Meetings

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County Public Schools on Wednesday opened its coronavirus vaccine clinics to students 12 and older. The school system also allowed small crowds to return to its board meetings, which have been closed or virtual for 14 months.

School Vaccines

AACPS announced on May 4 that it would immunize interested students and staff as young as 16. Younger students can now join in.

The sites will administer the Pfizer-BioNTech shot. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on May 10 cleared this inoculation for emergency use in everybody 12 and up.

Before this, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was only allowed for residents 16 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson immunizations are still only available to locals 18 and up.

Officials scheduled inoculation dates at 12 of the county's 13 high schools. These schools hosted their clinics on May 12, offering doses to anybody 16 and older:

• Arundel High School
• Glen Burnie High School
• Meade High School
• Northeast High School

Everybody 12 and up could get the shot Wednesday at:

• Annapolis High School
• Broadneck High School
• Old Mill High School
• South River High School

One final round serving those 12 and older takes place next Wednesday at:

• Chesapeake High School
• North County High School
• Severna Park High School
• Southern High School

Eligible students and staff can get vaccinated at any site, regardless of which school they attend or work at. Second dose clinics will follow 21 days after the first round.

Every location will be open from noon to 3 p.m. Residents can sign up for their first or second dose at aacps.org/covidclinics. An adult must accompany any child 15 or younger.

AACPS does not require the coronavirus immunization for its students or employees. The inoculation is optional as of now.

In-Person Meetings

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education welcomed back small crowds to its meetings this Monday and Wednesday. Attendance is still limited to those giving public comments.

Masks are required at the meetings. Click here to learn how to sign up to testify.

"This is the next incremental step in our Board’s return to normalcy," Board of Education President Melissa Ellis said in a press release. "I am pleased that we are in a place where we can hear directly from members of the public as they stand before us."

Coronavirus Vaccine Resources

Anybody 12 or older can now get the coronavirus vaccine at providers across the state. Check out our how-to guide to learn how to sign up for the shot.

Catch up on the infection and inoculation metrics in Anne Arundel County with our most recent numbers update. Head to Patch's immunization page to keep up with Maryland's latest vaccine news.

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RELATED:

• Vaccine Benchmark Nears; Anne Arundel Expands Eligibility
• How To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Anne Arundel County
• Masks In Maryland: 'No More Restrictions,' Governor Says
• Maryland Will Open Vaccination To Residents 12 And Older Starting Thursday
• BWI Has 2nd-Busiest Day In Pandemic As Airlines See Higher Demand

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.