VACCINE TEAMWORK

Jim Calhoun visits city’s clinic for teens

NEW HAVEN — Legendary Connecticut men’s college basketball coach Jim Calhoun was in New Haven for a recruiting trip Thursday, but it wasn’t athletics on his mind.

Throughout the week, the city has operated a vaccination clinic at Hill Regional Career High School in an attempt to accommodate students 16 and older to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Calhoun stopped by to urge the city’s youth to join the team.

“The people I talked to today are winning a bigger game: the game of life,” he said. “The only way to beat the pandemic is through teamwork.”

Sister and brother Leah and Gary Moore know about being on teams. Leah, 17, is the second-ranked high school hammer thrower in the nation; Gary, 16, is a nationally ranked high school shot put athlete as a junior.

On Thursday, the siblings joined at least 133 other city students who have been vaccinated so far this week, according to city Health Director Maritza

Bond. Bond said that figure reflected the number of students who had been vaccinated as of Wednesday; the Career clinic will run through Friday.

Leah said she wanted to get the shot for the benefit of her classmates and her city.

“We wanted to focus on how it’s not just about us, it’s everybody,” she said.

Leah said she hoped that, by getting vaccinated, it can help to push forward an effort to get students back into classrooms with their teachers all at one time, “so our classmates can get the best education they can possibly get.”

Both Leah and Gary said they had spoken to friends and teammates who had expressed vaccine apathy and urged them to schedule appointments of their own.

Erik Patchkofsky, the district’s director of athletics, said he had been proud of the school district for having two seasons of sports without significant problems. He said he hoped a vaccine clinic targeted at students would help the district get back to playing in sports at full capacity sooner.

“I think it’ll go a long way in ensuring our athletes are able to continue to play,” he said.

Mayor Justin Elicker said young people getting vaccinated is important in the city’s quest to reach herd immunity .

“It’s the right thing to do for our community. It’s the right thing for you to do as a young person to keep our community safe,” he said.

Daleishka Padilla, 17, said she felt “great” to get her first dose. The Career senior said she is back in school for hybrid instruction, but it feels odd.

“You don’t see as many people. There are maybe two or three in one classroom,” she said.

She said she feels safer now having received a first dose of the vaccine, and she hoped it will lead to a future where the classrooms can once again be filled with classmates.

Friend Franshesca Valdivia, 16, a student at Achievement First Amistad High School, said she planned on returning Friday. She said she wasn’t allowed to get the shot because she did not have a parent or guardian present to give consent. Nevertheless, the opportunity made her optimistic.

“I feel good. I’ve been waiting to get this for a while,” she said.

“The people I talked to today are winning a bigger game: the game of life. The only way to beat the pandemic is through teamwork.”

Legendary Connecticut men’s college basketball coach Jim Calhoun

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Jim Calhoun, former men’s basketball coach for the University of Connecticut and now coach at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, speaks at a vaccine clinic for people 16+ at Hill Regional Career High School in New Haven Thursday.

Jim Calhoun, former men’s basketball coach for the University of Connecticut and now coach at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, speaks at a vaccine clinic for people 16+ at Hill Regional Career High School in New Haven on Thursday.

Leah Moore, 17, receives her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from New Haven City Health Department RN Arbrim Sejdiu at the clinic.