Ridgefield Public Schools host vaccination clinic
One hundred students received a COVID-19 vaccine at East Ridge Middle School Tuesday after some parents expressed interest in a mobile vaccination clinic for 5-11 year olds.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 in November. Connecticut has inoculated 20 percent of children in this age group — which is double the national average — with 56,000 children vaccinated as of Nov. 22.
The state departments of public health and education have partnered to offer onsite clinics at schools across Connecticut. These clinics are either led by schoolbased health centers or special mobile teams that are specifically trained to administer vaccines to younger children, according to a press release from the DPH.
Ridgefield administrators discussed bringing a mobile vaccination clinic to the district during a Board of Education meeting last week. The district did not provide such a clinic when the same authorization was granted for 12- to- 17-yearolds since there was a greater presence of mass vaccination clinics in surrounding areas at the time, Superintendent Susie Da Silva said.
School officials sent a survey to parents last Tuesday to gauge interest in the program. The district received more than 190 requests.
On Tuesday afternoon, Griffin Health Services set up a mobile vaccination clinic in the cafeteria at East Ridge Middle School. The health care provider is also partnering with the Department of Public Health to coordinate free clinics throughout the state.
The clinic operated outside of school hours from 4 to 7 p.m. School administrators handled the registration process and Griffin’s medical personnel administered the vaccines.
The provider only administered first and second doses of the vaccine to 100 Ridgefield students. There is a possibility that Griffin could visit the district again to accommodate those students who could not get a shot on Tuesday but requested one, Da Silva said.
Ridgefield parent Jessica Cohen was one of the hundreds of parents who expressed interest in the clinic, but she ended up taking her child to Walgreens to get the shot. “They didn’t have enough capacity because there was an overwhelming (amount of ) requests,” she explained.
“I requested a spot ... because it was convenient,” Cohen added. “I think it’s a great idea.”
A follow-up clinic will occur on Dec. 21 for those needing a second dose, district nursing coordinator Aaron Crook said.
“The mobile vaccine clinic comes, they set up … and we just help provide a place for families where they can choose to vaccinate their children if they’d like to do so,” Crook added.
Much of the board seemed receptive to the idea and noted their appreciation for keeping parents’ choice at the forefront of the program. Board member Selina Bell said it would be especially helpful for working parents.
“I’m happy the administration is organizing this convenience, and that’s really what it is, to parents who might want to vaccinate their kids,” she added.
Board member Sean McEvoy expressed concern about Griffin Health Services administering the vaccines. He cited a class-action lawsuit lodged against Griffin Hospital in Derby; it alleges that nurses there improperly administered insulin to patients through the use of multi-dose insulin pens.
“I think we need to understand what checks they’ve put into place since then and make sure that can’t happen again,” he said.
In an email to Da Silva, board member Elizabeth Floegel, who was not present at the meeting, asked if the district has considered the impact the clinic would have on local pharmacies already offering the vaccines to this age group.
A representative from Bissell Pharmacy in Ridgefield said the business is only offering the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for individuals 18 and up; only select Rite Aid and CVS Pharmacy locations are offering COVID vaccines for children in this age group.
As of Monday, Ridgefield’s COVID positivity rate was 3.5 percent.