Westlake Schools Staff Get 1st Dose Of COVID Vaccine

WESTLAKE, OH — More than 450 Westlake Schools staffers received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Friday, the district announced.

Teachers and staff received the vaccine during a clinic at the Westlake High School. Pharmacists from Discount Drug Mart administered the vaccine.

"For the district, the vaccinations provides another layer of safety for our staff. We were scheduled to open “All-In” at Westlake High School today and the rest of our district on March 1," Superintendent Scott Goggin told Patch on Tuesday.

Westlake staff vaccinations are a boon to both the district and the community, Goggin said.

"For the community, vaccinating our staff at Westlake High School keeps my staff out of local pharmacies and vaccination clinics. This allows places such as Discount Drug Mart to focus their in-store vaccination efforts on eligible populations," he said.

District staff will get their second dose of the vaccine in the second week of March, pending availability.

Gov. Mike DeWine struck a bargain with Ohio schools at the beginning of the year — agree to reopen by March 1 and teachers and staff can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly every school district in Ohio agreed to the deal, including Westlake.

Due to a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, the state won't be able to complete the vaccination process for most teachers by March 1. All faculty should receive at least the first dose of the vaccine before reopening.