Wake school employees, childcare workers can soon sign up for COVID vaccine. Here’s how.
Wake County school and childcare employees can begin registering Monday for appointments to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot, with shots expected to begin on Wednesday.
Educators in the state’s preK-12 public, private and charter schools, as well as childcare workers, are part of the first wave of North Carolina’s Group 3 eligible to begin getting shots on Feb. 24. Other front-line essential workers, such as firefighters, bus drivers, university employees and meat packing workers, will be eligible for vaccine March 10.
Wake County Public Health announced Friday that it will update its online vaccine request form at WakeGov.com/vaccine on Monday to begin accepting registrations for school employees who are front-line essential workers. Anyone needing assistance can call Wake County’s Vaccine Hotline at 919-250-1515 at any time of the day.
To be eligible, people must work in-person or anticipate an imminent return to an in-person work setting at a school or childcare facility. This group includes people such as teachers, teacher assistants, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers.
“The county has been working hard to ensure that we will be prepared to start delivering doses to educators and child care professionals on the first possible day,” Matt Calabria, chairman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, said in a press release. “We are ready. Starting Monday, the people who have been working so hard to educate and care for our children will be able to sign up for their shots by phone and on our website.”
The Wake County school system resumed in-person instruction this week at all of its schools for the first time since March 2020. Wake NCAE had lobbied for a delay until school employees were vaccinated, but school leaders said it was safe to reopen as long as steps were taken to reduce the risk of transmitting the coronavirus.
Wake County is still in the process of vaccinating healthcare workers and people ages 65 and older. How long it will take to vaccinate school employees will depend on factors such as how many doses are available.
As supply allows, people who are eligible will be notified via email, phone or text that it’s their turn to receive the vaccine. They will then make an appointment online or over the phone to get the shot at a convenient date and time.
How to vaccinate school workers
Wake school officials have been working with different agencies on the best way to vaccinate school workers. County officials say mass vaccination sites, where they’ve been able to give 2,000 shots a day through three locations, is the best choice.
“We’re continuing to throw our entire vaccination playbook at this effort, including sending our vaccine strike teams into the community, but the fastest and most efficient way to get shots into the arms of our teachers, school and child care staff will be through our indoor and outdoor mass vaccination sites,” Ryan Jury, the Wake County Vaccine Branch Director, said in a press release “That means they need to take a few minutes to fill our brief request form, so we can collect their information and contact them immediately to make an appointment once we have supply.”
Some school employees thought it would be easier to get vaccinated at work. But county officials say the vaccine clinics at PNC Arena, the Wake County Public Health Center and the Wake County Commons Building offer appointments six days a week and during evening hours.
The appointment-only system allows people to sign up for a half-hour slot and avoid long waits in line. Second shot appointments are made immediately following the first dose while on site at the vaccination clinic.
People may also want to consider using other state-approved vaccine providers, including Duke Health, UNC/REX Health, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, and several local pharmacies.
Questions about COVID-19 vaccines can be sent to 919-250-1515 or by emailing covid19.questions@wakegov.com.
This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 4:36 PM.
