Westside Hosts Vaccine Clinic for Students and Community Members
Westside recently announced that the district is partnering with the Douglas County Health Department and Total Wellness Health to host a clinic to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Westside students and families. The first clinic was held on May 1. The second clinic will be May 22, and it will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. Westside High School Principal Jay Opperman said the opportunity extends past the community.
“We are just trying to work with our partners, Douglas County, to get this to our students and their families who haven’t gotten the vaccine. It’s not limited to our students,” Opperman said.
Opperman said he encourages anyone interested in the vaccine to sign up.
“If people are desiring to get the vaccine, we really encourage them to get down here and get it. I know there are still spots available,” Opperman said. “If there are people desiring to get the vaccine in our community, it’s just a great opportunity for them to do that [too].”
Robert Aranda, director of Student Services, said this clinic is targeted towards both students and their families.
“It’s catered more for Westside students, but it’s open to the public as well,” Aranda said. “In addition to [being available to] Westside [and] making it more accessible for our students…other families can sign up, as well.”
Aranda said he also hopes students will use this as an opportunity to get vaccinated.
“I think for us, it’s just helping us get people vaccinated,” Aranda said. “It started first with need, people that were high risk, they were vaccinated first. Then it went to other critical areas, like workers. Now, it’s available to our students, and we hope people take advantage of that.”
Aranda said he is hopeful there will be a good turnout.
“I hope it’s a success. Last I heard, we have almost 150 people [signed up],” he said. “We are hoping we have more, and we are expecting some walk-ins.”
Opperman said he recommends students make an informed decision regarding the vaccine.
“If people have questions, I encourage people to look at the Douglas County Health website regarding COVID-19 and the CDC so they can make an informed decision for themselves,” Opperman said.
If you are interested, sign up here.
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What’s up, my name is Peter Collins! I am a staff writer for Westside Wired this year. I am currently a senior and this is my fourth year on Wired. A...