Watervliet secures vaccine

Inoculation of district employees could help with staffing shortages

When the phone call came earlier this week that COVID-19 vaccine would be available for the city’s school district staff, Superintendent Lori Caplan didn’t pause a moment and immediately arranged a vaccine clinic in Watervliet Juniorsenior

High School Thursday afternoon.

“I’m ready. Just go and shoot it in there,” said David Fortuin, a lunch monitor at Watervliet Elementary School, just before the needle plunged into his arm and the vaccine flowed.

The Watervliet City School District’s two schools have been offering in-person instruction since September when the doors opened for the 2020-21 school year. Like many districts dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Watervliet has contended at different times with staffing shortages caused by mandatory quarantines for COVID-19 exposure.

Caplan was able to obtain 50 vaccine doses from Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center. Caplan emphasizes community partnerships and relationships in the city of 10,050 residents where the district is one of the ties.

“We partner with Whitney Young. We had been in constant contact. If there was vac

cine, I would be happy to have a clinic,” Caplan said.

Then the call came to say the vaccine was available for those in a school setting and Caplan jumped at the opportunity to provide it to employees.

“We turned this around in 48 hours. It was great to be able to offer them something that will protect them going forward,” Caplan said.

Caplan said some of her staff already had been vaccinated at the Times Union Center or at the University at Albany campus in Albany while others drove to Utica, Ithaca or Plattsburgh for their shots.

Watervliet has 38 teachers at the juniorsenior high school and 56 at the elementary school, according to the district’s state COVID-19 Report Card. The district has 748 students at the elementary school and 337 at the secondary school and also 45 staff at the elementary school and 20 at the high school.

Special education teacher Marylou Brodhead was overjoyed to be able to get her shot Thursday instead of waiting for her scheduled appointment at the end of March at Ualbany.

“It’s very wonderful to have it done right here at the school,” Brodhead said.

Maria Denovio, assistant principal at the middle school, was the first to be inoculated. Denovio said, “It was so easy and convenient.”

Lori Van Buren / Times Union High school nurse Racheal Thomas administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to elementary school lunch monitor David Fortuin at Watervliet Junior-senior High School on Thursday in Watervliet.

Lori Van Buren / Times Union Elementary school nurse Sue Vogel administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to special education teacher Marylou Brodhead at Watervliet Junior-senior High School on Thursday in Watervliet. Employees of the Watervliet City School District received the COVID-19 vaccine Thursday.