AKRON, Ohio — The rollout of educators to get the COVID-19 vaccine is frustrating a lot of school districts as the supply cannot meet demand. Akron Public Schools are eager to start vaccinating their staff later this week, however they’re still finalizing the logistics since they’re only getting a fraction of what’s needed.
Mark Williamson, Akron Public Schools Director of Marketing & Communication says the plan is being worked on every day. “You have to also have a method of determining who of the 3,000, which 780 go first, so that all part of what’s happening right now," he told 3News.
As Akron works out its first round of vaccinations, other school systems like Parma City Schools are still waiting on the Educational Service Center to get them basic information like when they can expect the vaccine and how many they’ll get. Parma Superintendent Dr. Charles Smialek says patience is key.
“We don’t have a date, we don’t, we know its Giant Eagle or Walgreens. That’s really all we know, it’s supposed to be next week, but I have nothing and today is Monday,” says Smialek.
The same thing is happening at Willoughby-Eastlake Schools, where Superintendent Steve Thompson says they’re waiting to roll out their plan once they get confirmation of a vaccine.
“We will prioritize by those with underlying health conditions, documented underlying health conditions first followed by oldest to youngest regardless of what position they fill in the district,” says Thompson.
In the meantime, school leaders say they will make sure all staff are kept in the loop so they can take action as soon as they receive concrete information about the vaccine.
“What timelines and dates are. We want people to be able to plan, but the realistic consideration at this point is that we just don’t have a tremendous amount of information to share,” says Dr. Smialek.
There were some school systems 3News spoke with who were so frustrated by the lack of information that they couldn’t talk on the record about this story. The bottom line is all districts are eager and ready to get their hands on doses for their faculty and staff as soon as possible.
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Editor's Note: The below story aired on January 31, 2021