Schools adjust as teachers call out sick with COVID vaccine side effects FacebookTwitterEmail Teachers and staff from all over Monroe's school system wait the mandatory 15 minutes to monitor for reactions after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during a closed vaccine clinic for Monroe school staff at Masuk High School in Monroe, Conn., on Wednesday Mar. 3, 2021.Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media A spokesman for the state Department of Education said Monday steps are being taken to help avoid the sudden school closures that have occurred due to large numbers of teachers calling out sick with side effects from the COVID vaccine. Peter Yazbak, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, said school districts are trying to avoid these disruptions through creative scheduling, and health experts maintain that these side effects should not deter anyone from getting the vaccine.