Teachers and daycare providers receive COVID-19 vaccinations

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Teachers and daycare providers were able to receive COVID-19 vaccines during a clinic at Natividad Hospital in Salinas, Thursday.

An official at Natividad Hospital says 589 people showed for vaccination appointments, including early childhood educators.

As many schools begin preparing to reopen for certain grades, the Center for Disease Control states the chances for virus spread at schools are low with less than 10 percent of United States COVID-19 cases being among children and teens. Still, parents and staff members say they are still concerned.

Angela Frias, a mother in Salinas tells KION that although she feels every individual is within their right to choose whether or not to get vaccinated, she says she hopes teachers and child care providers will keep children's safety in mind while making that decision.

Frias' five year old daughter is a preschooler and says she was happy to hear the news of teachers getting vaccinated and hopes to return to in-person classes soon.

"I like learning, I like to go to school until Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and Sunday," she says.

Frias says having teachers get vaccinated will give her some peace of mind when sending her children back to school.

“It feels a lot safer because they will be in more contact with the kids as well as just knowing that they are going to be safe themselves you know, because they’re going to be exposed too," says Frias.

Staff at Hearts and Hands Childcare and Preschool in Salinas say some of them have already received vaccines or set up appointments.

Site Director Michelle Skogen says they have been open during the last year of the pandemic, but many parents raised concerns of possible spread...something she says played a role in her decision to get the vaccine.

"I work in a center and my grandkids are elsewhere and so I want to be able to visit them and feel comfortable without thinking that I'm bringing something to them," says Skogen.

Skogen says Hearts and Hands is currently at capacity and seeing more enrollment.

Skogen says she hears from parents who say they are still nervous about bringing their kids back to school but says safety protocols like the face mask mandates will still be followed.

“Kids are not required to wear them, however, we do have plenty of kids that do. I’ve had parents come in and tell me, I hope you guys continue the mask thing because this is the healthiest my children have been in a long time," says Skogen.

The CDC also states studies have shown there has been minimal virus transmission in schools where health guidelines were followed even in communities where virus transmission was high.

County and school officials continue laying out their plans to make vaccine locations and appointments more available to teachers and child care providers.

Monterey County Director of Public Health Edward Moreno says early childhood educators can get their vaccinations through their primary care providers, local pharmacies offering the vaccine and through their employers.