La Conner student COVID-19 vaccination rate almost 25%

La Conner students are getting their jabs in.

Not in terms of any verbal disputes or playground scuffles, but instead when it comes to receiving voluntary vaccinations intended to help protect against the spread of COVID-19.

According to school officials, about one-fourth of La Conner students have been vaccinated since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine emergency authorization at October’s end for use in children five to 11-years-old.

“Looking at our registration platform, I can see that we have 24 per cent of our students vaccinated – 40 per cent at the secondary levels, where shots have been available longer,” La Conner Schools Director of Special Programs Andy Wheeler told the Weekly News Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended everyone age 5 and older get a COVID-19 vaccination to curb spread of the virus.

Wheeler said that in response to the FDA approval and CDC recommendation, the Swinomish health team has been administering vaccines to tribal students.

“Anecdotally,” he added, “I hear students have utilized the county site at the fairgrounds (in Mount Vernon), but I have no idea about how many have gone there.”

La Conner Elementary Principal Heather Fakkema-Hovde echoed Wheeler.

“I can say that many students and families have verbally reported getting vaccinated or have pulled kids during the day for vaccination appointments,” she said.

La Conner Schools is also considering whether to host its own vaccination clinic, following the lead of thousands of other districts nationwide, Fakkema-Hovde and Wheeler said.

“We are looking into a vaccination clinic, including options to do that with the Swinomish Tribe and possibly finding another partner,” said Wheeler. “I don’t have news at this point when that would happen.”

“So far,” Fakkema-Hovde added, “that hasn’t been an option, but it is something I know has been discussed. The tribe has hosted vaccination clinics for our age group and I believe families are also accessing the vaccine through their pediatricians and other pharmacies.”

As far as staff is concerned, compliance with the state’s mandate that persons employed or volunteering in educational settings be vaccinated has been near universal. Wheeler said 92 per cent of La Conner Schools staff has received the vaccine.

The mandate provides for exemptions based on disability and sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances.

In a related effort to prevent spread of the virus and its variants, Wheeler said the district is utilizing the Learn to Return program, which is funded through the Washington State Department of Health and implemented by the non-profit Health Commons Project and is designed to enable a safe return to campus by providing free and customized COVID-19 testing solutions.

“Learn to Return helps us with testing,” Wheeler explained, “both with rapid tests and the more reliable PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests and they are also helping us look for partners.”

Learn to Return is funded through the Washington State Department of Health and implemented by the Health Commons Project, a non-profit entity that works alongside schools to make COVID-19 testing possible.