MENTOR HOSTS VACCINE CLINIC

Over 1,000 teachers and school staff get first Pfizer shot from local health professionals

Approaching a year after the novel coronavirus first appeared in Ohio, Lake County teachers and school staff came out in high numbers Feb. 26 to a COVID-19 vaccination clinic held at Mentor High School.

The clinic marked the end of the first week that the vaccine has been available to school employees in Lake County, and many students from participating schools got the day off of classes as their teachers and administrators attended the clinic.

According to Mentor Schools Superintendent William Porter, they had roughly 1,200 people signed up to receive their first round of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

Since that vaccine is administered in two parts, Porter said the second dose will tentatively be scheduled to take place in a month.

He said that Mentor Schools staff made up a majority of participants, but staff from several other districts and schools had joined in, too.

“Mentor Public Schools is probably 75 percent of who’s coming through

“Mentor Public Schools is probably 75 percent of who’s coming through today, but we also have a couple of other local public schools and some local Catholic private schools as well. — Mentor Schools Superintendent William Porter

today, but we also have a couple of other local public schools and some local Catholic private schools as well,” Porter said.

He said that distribution of the vaccine was a team effort. Mentor Schools’ nurses and health techs, staff from Lake County General Health District and health professionals from the Mentor Fire Department joined together in the high school’s gym to administer all the vaccines.

After a vaccine is administered, each individual headed out of the gym to a waiting area for around 20 minutes to be certain they would not experience any allergic reactions or other adverse effects. Local emergency health professionals were on standby just in case.

Porter added that he had seen an overwhelmingly positive response from staff in his district about receiving the vaccine.

“A high majority wanted the vaccine, and I’m really pleased that they’re able to come through today and get it,” he said.

Mentor Schools is currently employing a hybrid format for classes, so some are held in-person, and Porter said he believed that school staff receiving the vaccine will help give them additional “peace of mind” as they move forward.

“We certainly believe in our mitigation strategies, but this is another really important layer just to keep people safe,” he said.

Patrick Keegan, a bus driver for Mentor Schools, received his vaccination on Feb. 26 and agreed that receiving the vaccine will grant him more confidence carrying out his job.

He added that the process was almost painless, and said he was excited that school staff now have this opportunity after almost a year of coping with the pandemic.

Mentor High music teacher Matt Yoke said the vaccination process went smoothly for him as well, and he looks forward to feeling safer while teaching.

“I’ve actually already had COVID-19 and it will be nice to not have to worry about it, or worry about it for the kids,” Yoke said. “It’ll be nice to get back to some sense of normalcy.”

PHOTOS BY SHEENA HOLLAND DOLAN — THE NEWS-HERALD Mentor Schools Superintendent William Porter, left, shows one of the many vaccine administration stations set up in the high school gym.

A vaccine administrator at the Mentor Schools clinic on Feb. 26 explains the details of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to a recipient.

SHEENA HOLLAND DOLAN — THE NEWS-HERALD Mentor High School music teacher Matt Yoke sits in the waiting area after receiving his first round of the vaccine.