The Levittown-area’s four school districts had already laid out or were working on plans to expand in-person learning for this spring, but the recent announcement from Gov. Tom Wolf that the first doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will be directed to school staff buoyed the plans.
As the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is rolled out with the first of more than 94,000 initial doses arriving this week, school staff – ranging from bus drivers to teachers – will be able to get their single-dose shot at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit offices in Doylestown Township. Intermediate units, which work with school districts, have been designated by the state to handle vaccinations in counties.
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“The approval of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides a great opportunity to launch this special initiative to vaccinate all teachers, child care workers and school staff without interrupting the flow of vaccine local providers have already administered,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said during a recent press conference.
Public and non-public school staff will be eligible. Child care workers will be able to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine through retail pharmacies through a federal allotment of the vaccine, according to state health officials.
“This new single-dose vaccine adds another layer of support to get students and teachers back in the classroom,” Gov. Wolf said told reporters.
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NPR reported the immunity from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine increases over several weeks and company data indicated a strong immune response 15 days after getting the shot.
After the governor’s announcement, the Bristol Township and Pennsbury school districts laid out plans to expand their in-person learning plans. The Bristol Borough and Neshaminy school districts had already relayed their intentions.
Credit: Mark Getman
The Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts had worked on their owns plans for vaccination sites for staff at their facilities, district officials said.
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Pennsbury Superintendent Dr. William Gretzula said the state plan to vaccinate school staff through intermediate units eliminates the option to have vaccination clinics in the district’s schools.
Neshaminy Superintendent Dr. Rob McGee said the vaccination plan “increases the likelihood” the already-slated in-person learning expansion model will continue as planned.
While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will help school staff avoid serious impacts if they get COVID-19, schools will maintain masking and physical distancing. Additionally, most students are not recommended to get vaccinated due to age, but that is expected to change in the coming months.
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Mitigation measures in area schools appear to have been working as cases remain relativity low.
“After a year of unprecedented educational shifts and tensions, we are closer to relieving some constraints and increasing access to in-person learning opportunities, services, programs, and supports that will positively impact entire communities,” Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega said last week.
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