School employees receive vaccines

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

More than 150 educators and support staff members across the Mon Valley have received their first dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.

Charleroi Area, Ringgold and Belle Vernon Area are among the districts that had employees who qualified for the 1A category. They were vaccinated Friday during a clinic at Monongahela Valley Hospital.

Charleroi Area High School/Middle School nurse Dana Cannon said she was surprised the clinic was scheduled so quickly, less than a week after she talked to the hospital.

“We were having difficulty obtaining vaccines here, just like everywhere,” she said. “I put some phone calls out and we found out that MVH was our distribution site. After speaking with the hospital, they were back in touch with us within a week to say we could schedule our clinic. We were very grateful.”

Cannon said 80 staff members who qualified for the first phase of distribution received their vaccines Friday.

“It was a very good turnout,” she said. “And as a school district, we very happy.”

Cannon hopes as vaccines continue to be administered, more staff members who fall into the next phases of distribution will also be able to receive vaccines.

“We are very appreciative of our partnership and everything that have done for us, and will be able to do for us in the future,” she said. “I am just so thankful for everyone who worked to help us do this, our pandemic team, Dr. (Ed) Zelich, the administration.

“It was a very quick turnaround and we are thrilled to have so many staff members who wanted to be vaccinated receive their vaccines today.”

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