Arlington Fire Dept. allocates 2,000 vaccines for teachers Wednesday
ARLINGTON, Texas - Hundreds more teachers and educators got their vaccine on Wednesday.
The Arlington Fire Department teamed up with some smaller school districts, like Mansfield and Kennedale, to vaccinate educators.
The fire department used some of the 6,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines allocated to the department this week.
Tarrant County teachers and school staff didn’t mind short notice if it meant being protected in the classroom.
About 2,000 educators from Mansfield ISD, Kennedale ISD and private and charter schools in Tarrant County received the vaccine Wednesday at the E-Sports Stadium and Expo Center in Arlington.
The Arlington Fire Department started vaccinating Arlington ISD teachers Monday after receiving 6,000 Johnson and Johnson doses this week.
Kennedale ISD Superintendent Chad Gee says he’s been concerned about the health and safety of his 450 staff members since they returned to campus last fall.
When the Arlington Fire Department told him they had enough supply for his district’s entire staff, Gee decided to make Wednesday a half day to give teachers the time to get vaccinated.
"We don’t know if our entire staff has been vaccinated, but at least they’ve had the opportunity," Gee said.
Substitute teacher Jennifer Phelps from The Oakridge School, a private school in Fort Worth, was relieved that she was invited along with full time teachers.
"It’s amazing that they offer for everybody involved because we’re all in contact with them, so it’s really good," she said.
The Arlington Fire Department has partnered with the Mansfield Fire Department, Arlington ISD nurses, Arlington PD and others to get teachers in and out.
Lt. Richard Fegan says the one-dose shots arrival is timely with spring break season here.
"As spring break passes through, by the time they return to the classroom, there should be a level of protection afforded to the teachers in our schools," he said.
If you missed this week’s vaccines, Lt. Fegan says make sure you are registered with Tarrant County. They aren’t planning a makeup day for teachers. But if they have enough leftover and it makes sense, they could quickly organize another teacher vaccination day.