Thousands Of Anne Arundel Teachers To Be Vaccinated By Medics

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — School officials want to get back to the classroom. Fire officials want to help.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools hopes to offer hybrid classes to as many students as possible by March 1. To make that safer, teachers will need the coronavirus vaccine. Enter the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

The department plans to vaccinate up to 14,000 teachers and staff in the coming weeks. The dates are not yet set, as fire officials are still waiting for the doses to arrive.

"This is a massive effort that takes an incredible amount of coordination," AACPS Superintendent George Aroltto said in a YouTube video. "When dates and times have been finalized, we will contact our employees with instructions on how to register for and receive a vaccine."

Whenever it's time, the department will host an immunization clinic at Severna Park High School. Paramedics will give the shots. Firefighters and EMTs will support the operation. Fire department spokesperson Russell Davies believes crews are up for the task.

"We've been doing vaccinations internally for more than 15 years," Davies told Patch in an email. "The only change here is providing it outside of public safety."

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman also tapped the fire department to vaccinate first responders earlier this month. Over five days, medics inoculated more than 2,000 emergency personnel with the first dose.

"Nobody does logistics better than [the fire department]," Pittman said on Twitter. "That's why we engaged them."

About 73 percent of firefighters wanted the immunization themselves. All 1,000 of those members have gotten their first dose. The first 250 got their second shot Wednesday.

First responders, along with health care workers and those in nursing homes, were part of the county's first phase of vaccination. Anne Arundel entered the second wave, known as stage 1B, on Jan. 18. That opened the door to:

• Anybody age 75 and older
• Residents of congregate living facilities
• School staff
• Those needed for continuity of government
• Child-care providers

The county is prioritizing those age 75 and up. After those 40,000 locals work through the system, the focus will shift to the rest of the phase.

Vaccine supply is still limited. Less than 6 percent of the Anne Arundel County residents have gotten their first dose, so officials asked for patience.

"We encourage everyone to get vaccinated when it is their turn," Davies said.

To see when you'll be eligible for the inoculation, read Patch's explainer. Check out our how-to guide to learn how to sign up for the shot. Catch up on the latest coronavirus infection and vaccination metrics in Anne Arundel County by heading to our latest numbers update. Learn about AACPS' opening plan in this story.

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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.