Eligible Salem High School Students Urged To Get Vaccinated

SALEM, MA —As Salem Public Schools look to bring back high school students full-time five days per week on April 26 for the first time in more than 13 months, the hope is that many of them will be vaccinated against the coronavirus sometime before the end of the school year.

Superintendent of Schools Steve Zrike urged students 16 years old and older to get vaccinated when they become eligible in the state on April 19.

"We really want to push and encourage you to have your children — or if there are students watching to encourage them — to go and get your vaccine," Zrike said during his weekly Facebook Live discussion with families on Thursday. "We are going to make a push."

Zrike noted data shows that while younger people are less likely to develop severe coronavirus symptoms, high school students are more apt to contract and spread the virus than those in younger grades.

With only 3 feet of distance between students at the high school because of space restrictions — and high school students interacting more with each other at school, during extra-curricular activities or sports and waning adherence to strict coronavirus-related protocols — teens have become the largest demographic of new coronavirus cases found in the state in recent weeks.

Those 16 years old or older are currently eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in Massachusetts as of April 19. On Friday, Pfizer submitted a request to US FDA to expand the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents 12 to 15 years of age.

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only available to those 18 or older.

The hope is to have as many people at Salem High vaccinated as possible as the building becomes more crowded starting later this month.

Mayor Kim Driscoll, who also acts as School Committee Chair, said 92 percent of Salem Public Schools staff has either received or has registered for a coronavirus vaccination appointment as of Monday — with 100 of those secured through a volunteer network to secure appointments for teachers and faculty while they worked during the school day.

"It shouldn't have been that hard," Zrike said of having teachers and school staff vaccinated prior to the return to full, in-classroom learning. "I can't go back in time. But I wish educators could have gotten that opportunity sooner."

Salem students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade returned to five-day classroom learning this week with Driscoll saying that 81 percent of students chose that option.

Families of students who wish to keep their children in fully remote learning have that option at least through the end of this school year.

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

More Patch Coverage: Salem High School Students To Return Full-Time April 26

Full School Return A Time To Reconnect In Salem: Superintendent