Wyoming Seminary ahead of the curve with faculty vaccinations

Wyoming Seminary recently sent out a notice announcing “we have been able to have the majority of our faculty/staff vaccinated” against COVID-19.

Considering teachers are listed in the phase 1B group of the state’s distribution system while the process remains in phase 1A, and considering several area school district superintendents contacted Monday said that — while they lacked hard data — they believed most of their teachers were still waiting for a chance at a shot, how did Sem pull this off?

Seminary Director of Communications Jill Snowdon provided a statement on behalf of President Kevin Rea noting the school “was contacted by two local area resources about vaccinations for our teachers. Since we have been providing in-person learning for our day and boarding students on two campuses we were grateful to be able to provide this option to our teachers.”

The opportunity came early in the vaccination process when the state found many cases of excess vaccine and allowed people in group 1B to get shots to avoid wasting the doses.

“A community health partner invited Wyoming Seminary faculty and staff to register for the 100 excess vaccines they had available on Sunday, January 17 for a Monday morning, January 18 vaccine,” the statement said. “Wyoming Seminary quickly coordinated a schedule for 100 faculty and staff to be able to receive the vaccines the next morning.

“When this opportunity came to be, Wyoming Seminary withdrew our school’s name from the other community health organizations’ vaccination list.”

Such opportunities for using extra doses on group 1B largely disappeared when the state expanded the list of eligibility in group 1A.

Wyoming Valley West had some success along similar lines, according to Pandemic Coordinator Anthony Dicton, who said via email that the district was “fortunate enough to schedule our clinical personnel and direct support professionals” early in the process, and that some are either getting their second doses or already have them.

He also said the school moved quickly when the state revamped the phase 1A group. Dicton “surveyed our faculty when the state added to the 1A and asked who has scheduled or received their first dose. I had 38% of the respondents reply they are scheduled and 17% received their first dose. Out of 356 teachers, I had 244 responses. This was two weeks ago.”

Lastly, he added, the school has completed a roster “to include all education workers and are ready to schedule them all as soon as 1B is released.”

All told, Dicton estimated about 50% had been given at least a first dose, but pointed out they schedule appointment on their own, though he provides information to help when possible.

Several school district superintendents asked about the number of teacher vaccinations Monday said it was hard to say, largely because the teachers are trying to schedule their own appointments if eligible.

“That is difficult to answer because teachers with underlying conditions now qualify to be vaccinated. We do not have any numbers on those people that went for the first dose. I believe the percentage to be very low at this point,” Greater Nanticoke Area Superintendent Ron Grevera said via email.

“Since 1B has not been released yet the percentage is low,” Northwest Area Superintendent Joseph Long wrote. “Only a few of my staff members have been able or eligible for the vaccine.”

“I do not have that information at this time. I know many of our teachers and staff members are awaiting for 1b to open,” Crestwood Superintendent Robert Mehalick wrote.

Much of the state response to COVID-19 for school districts has been coordinated through the Intermediate Units set up to support multiple districts and non-public schools in a given region. Luzerne Intermediate Unit Executive Director Tony Grieco said his agency is trying to coordinate a mass vaccination once the state starts the 1B group.

But the launch of 1B was actually delayed with the expansion of 1A, which indirectly “pushed school personnel further down the road,” Grieco said. He noted those eligible under 1A have been trying to get appointments on their own, but estimated there are “about 3,500 people looking for shots.

“The state is saying that there are now 4 million Pennsylvanians in Tier 1A, so we have no timeline on when we can move forward into the 1B category,” Grieco wrote in an email.

There was a point, prior to the expansion of 1A, when Geisinger offered shots to area teachers in the 1B category. In an e-mailed statement, Geisinger noted this was because “we had unused vaccine or unexpected no-shows or cancellations.

“In these specific instances, we contacted these 1B groups such as LIU18, to identify people who were eligible to receive the vaccine in a timely manner to avoid unnecessary wasted vaccine.” After the expansion of 1A, the issue of surplus vaccines was moot, the statement added.

Grieco said the extra shots offered at the time by Geisinger meant “we were able to get somewhere between 330 – 340 school personnel vaccinated as a result of that opportunity and prior to the state shifting gears.”