Lancaster County educators were thrilled to get vaccinated once Pennsylvania prioritized the first Johnson & Johnson vaccine shipments for school personnel.
Even with the news that the Johnson & Johnson shot may be linked to rare blood clots, prompting state officials to pause administering doses in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration, that hasnât changed.
âIn the millions of doses, there have only been a handful of adverse reactions, so the vaccine is still very safe,â Conestoga Valley High School biology teacher and Conestoga Valley Education Association President Tara Flick said.
Itâs better late than never.
Thatâs what Lancaster County educators are saying now that Gov. Tom Wolf has come around to the idea of prioritizing school employees in Pennsylvaniaâs next vaccine rollout.
Wolf on Wednesday announced that the initial shipments of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine would be devoted to the 200,000 or so public and private school faculty and staff throughout the state. Local educators, many of whom have long awaited a chance to be vaccinated, said the announcement is welcome news, especially for those who have been teaching in-person since the fall.
âWhile this effort is coming much later than we were led to believe, teachers will be grateful and most will vaccinate as soon as possible,â Hans Herr Elementary School fifth-grade teacher and Lampeter-Strasburg Education Association President Kristin Maser said. âWe know that coming to school is what is best for kids, and that is why we are here, but each day is