Second COVID vaccine dose for teachers Feb. 26

More than 3,000 school personnel will get their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination starting at 7 a.m. Feb. 26, as part of the governor's 1B group designation, at Medina and Brunswick high schools. Due to the countywide effort to vaccinate all educators with the second dose in a single day, all school districts in Medina County will close that day. This is the same vaccine protocol used with the first shot. "We just got word from the governor's office (Thursday)," said Bob Hlasko, superintendent of the Educational Service Center of Medina County. "We confirmed with them." A total of 3,166 teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and office personnel — basically anyone that comes in contact with students — received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Feb. 5 at the two locations. Medina gave out 1,398 doses and Brunswick 1,768, Hlasko said. Discount Drug Mart pharmacists will also administer the second dose. The drugstore chain was tapped to run the clinics to coincide with the state's plans to vaccinate all teachers in an effort to open Ohio schools by March 1. There was never a question that the clinics would return to the two high schools. "We've gotten nothing but positive comments from the educators," Hlasko said. "They said they've never been to a clinic run so smoothly." He said having already run the first clinic will make the second one a lot easier. Getting vaccinations at Medina will be Around the Sun Montessori, Black River, Cloverleaf, Medina, Medina County Career Center, Northside Christian Academy, Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Nurtury and Wadsworth. At Brunswick, educators from Brunswick, Buckeye, Highland, Medina Christian Academy, the ESC, St. Ambrose and St. Francis Xavier will get their shots. Educators who missed the first round of shots can receive theirs on Feb. 26. Several missed the first one due to vacation time or were on quarantine for COVID. Hlasko said about 80 percent of school employees in the county agreed to get vaccinated. There was no incentive to get the vaccine and no penalty if they didn't. Most Medina County schools have returned in some capacity to their buildings, making Gov. Mike DeWine's heavy insistence on meeting the March 1 deadline which he has levied against several districts not needed. By the numbers In total, there are 947,389 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 16,611 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 49,061 people have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic, including 7,002 admissions to intensive care units. The Ohio Department of Health reports Medina County has seen a total of 13,025 cases. This includes 620 people who have been hospitalized and 214 who have died. Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.