Johnson & Johnson vaccine rollout begins for Central Pa. school employees

The clinic is a part of a statewide initiative to get vaccinations out to school employees.

• By Jade Campos/WPSU

(State College) — Teachers, nurses, principals and other school staff from Centre, Clearfield and Clinton counties began arriving at Mount Nittany Middle School at 8 a.m. Saturday for a special COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Employees received Johnson & Johnson single-dose shots that Governor Tom Wolf earmarked exclusively for K-12 school employees and childcare workers.

The State College Area School District Operations Director Randy Brown said hundreds have scheduled appointments during the four-day clinic.

“Many of our folks have already received a vaccination through the various clinics in the community or their medical providers, but over the next several days we’re going to have a much larger number that received the vaccination and we’re very excited about doing that,” Brown said.

The clinic is a part of a statewide initiative to get vaccinations out to school employees.

Deirdre Bauer is the principal of Radio Park Elementary and curriculum director for the State College Area School District. She said she signed up for a shot so she can see her family for the first time since Christmas.

“I’m the last one of my siblings to get vaccinated. So now we’ll be able to see each other and my dad,” Bauer said.

Bauer said in-person activities at Radio Park have been safe, but she hopes the clinic will help her staff feel more comfortable.

The clinic will move its operations to the Panorama Village Administrative Center near Mount Nittany Middle School for Monday and Tuesday.