SLO County to begin vaccinating education and child care workers
–Beginning March 1, some local child care workers and K-12 teachers and staff working in-person will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccine in San Luis Obispo County. Eligible workers in this sector will be contacted directly by their employer to schedule appointments when it is their turn, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.
“We are excited to begin vaccinating our community’s educators, including many who have been providing dedicated in-person care throughout the pandemic,” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, County Health Officer. “The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and it’s one of the best tools we have to end this pandemic.”
To ease logistical complexities of vaccine distribution, the County Office of Education and Child Care Planning Council are scheduling and managing vaccine appointments for eligible staff. Eligible individuals will be contacted directly by their employer to schedule an appointment and will not schedule appointments directly through the County’s website or Phone Assistance Center.
The County is setting aside 10-percent of its vaccine allocation each week, per State guidance, for those working in education and child care sectors. The County Office of Education and the Child Care Planning Council, at the recommendation of the SLO County COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, are identifying teachers, child care workers and other school staff who will be first in line and up next, based on risk of either exposure at work or severe illness.
Because supply is limited, vaccine has first been offered to those working in-person in close contact with students who cannot wear masks. As supply increases and doses continue to be designated for this sector each week, more education and child care staff will be able to get the vaccine.
“This is an important first step in vaccinating the many people who care for our students,” said Dr. James Brescia, Superintendent of the County Office of Education. “I appreciate the collaborative work of the local Vaccine Task Force in making this a reality and I encourage all teachers, school staff and child care workers who have questions about when and how to get the vaccine to talk with your employer for more information.”
To learn more about vaccine distribution in SLO County, visit RecoverSLO.org/Vaccine.
For more information about COVID-19 in SLO County, visit www.ReadySLO.org or call the recorded Public Health Information Line at (805) 788-2903. A staffed phone assistance center is available at (805) 543-2444 or (805) 781-4280, 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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