GREENSBORO, N.C. — Starting on Wednesday, North Carolina teachers and school staff will be eligible to get covid-19 vaccinations.
Guilford County is preparing to start those vaccinations by the thousands later this week.
Those vaccinations will begin on Thursday in Guilford County and will be available at the county's three clinics (The Greensboro Coliseum, Mt. Zion Baptist Church and the High Point Community Center).
Some school staff have already scheduled their appointments.
"They tell you what times are available and you just pick one and if you type fast you get that one," Kim Freedman said.
Freedman is New Garden Friends School's Head of School. She is scheduled to get her first dose Thursday at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Guilford County outlined its plans to vaccinate teachers during a Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting.
County Director of Public Health Dr. Iulia Vann estimated there are 15,000 people who qualify under this phase of vaccination. The goal is to vaccinate 80 percent of them but said it will take a couple of weeks to do it based on vaccine supply.
The county said appointments will be scheduled Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to avoid teachers missing school if they experience side effects.
Schools are sending appointment registrations to their employees to verify them and make sure no one jumps the line.
Those teachers are being separated into groups based on priority to have the vaccine.
The plan detailed that order as follows for Guilford County Schools employees:
- Exceptional Children program staff
- Staff age 51-64 years old
- Staff age 36-50 years old
- Staff age 18-35 years old
The county recommended private and charter schools use the same system but that does not mean it works for everyone.
Freedman said her staff is much smaller and does not have very many members of the older age group. Staff working in the building will get first priority on vaccines at her school.
She said only a handful of staff are working from home.
Some of those people who are working from home, if they can get a vaccine we would love to bring them in because we've had to bring other people in," Freedman said.
Ninety members of her staff are on the list to get a vaccine. The list includes staff working from home and long term substitutes.
All of Guilford County's first doses will go to vaccinating teachers for the next two weeks.