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Many school employees in Northeast Michigan turn out for COVID-19 vaccines

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Alcona Community Schools music teacher Emma Pendergrass, right, helps high school student Ava Brege during a music theory lesson on Friday at the high school.

ALPENA — Many school employees in Northeast Michigan have already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, just two weeks after the state health department made vaccines available to them.

The state on Jan. 11 expanded the number of people eligible to receive the vaccine, adding those 65 and older, police, firefighters, teachers, and child care workers to the list that already included health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

While it wasn’t immediately clear how many area school employees had been vaccinated, with superintendents citing health privacy laws, teachers and others from Alpena, Alcona, Rogers City, and Onaway schools have received the first dose of the vaccine, according to area superintendents.

Posen Consolidated Schools employees will get their vaccines during District Health Department No. 4’s mass vaccination clinic Saturday at Alpena Community College.

“Our teachers are very excited to get the vaccine, they’re ready,” Posen Consolidated Schools Superintendent Michelle Wesner said.

Meanwhile, public health officials today reported 14 newly infected Northeast Michiganders, including 10 Alpena County residents and four Presque Isle County residents.

The cumulative number of infected Montmorency County residents decreased by one on today. Other such decreases have been caused by corrections to incorrect information recorded at the state level, according to local health officials.

State data showed that, as of Thursday, 5,135 doses of coronavirus vaccine had been administered in Northeast Michigan.

As of Thursday, nine people were hospitalized at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena with coronavirus infection, none in intensive care, according to state data. The hospital was 39% full.

As of today, 56 people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection across the state-designated, 18-county health care region that includes Alpena, Presque Isle, and Montmorency counties, according to state data.

Since the pandemic hit Michigan in mid-March, 2,665 Northeast Michiganders have been infected, according to local public health agencies. Of those, 90 have died.

The last death was reported Thursday.

Local public health officials have stopped tracking recoveries.

Alpena Superintendent Dave Rabbideau said district officials learned from a survey that about two-thirds of the district’s roughly 500 employees are interested in receiving the vaccine.

Rabbideau said 87 employees were vaccinated on Jan. 8, when the district partnered with Alcona Health Center to vaccinate employees.

Carl Seiter, superintendent at Hillman and Atlanta schools, could not be reached for comment for this story.

Many APS employees were vaccinated at a mass vaccination clinic at the Alpena Mall on Monday, but Rabbideau said he does not know how many employees received the vaccine because of health privacy laws.

Rogers City Area Schools Superintendent Nick Hein declined to say how many employees have received the vaccine so far. However, he said the majority of his employees were either vaccinated at a mass vaccination clinic in Cheboygan County on Monday or at a vaccination clinic today in Onaway.

Onaway Area Community Schools Superintendent Rod Fullerton estimated about 60% of employees have received the vaccine, while Alcona Community Schools Superintendent Dan O’Connor estimated more than 60% of his employees have been vaccinated so far.

“Obviously, everyone has to make their own personal choice when it comes to electing to get the vaccination… but it’s another layer to ensure that our students and staff are safe and we’re able to have as much face-to-face instruction as possible,” O’Connor said.

Receiving vaccines has also helped to reduce some of the anxiety employees have felt during the pandemic, Rabbideau said.

“The reliability and effectiveness of the vaccine is in the 90% to 95% range, so I think that brings a peace of mind that the individuals aren’t going to get sick and are protected,” he said.

Superintendents said employees were not required to receive the vaccine, and some employees in each district have chosen not to receive the vaccine.

Rabbideau said other employees have adopted a wait-and-see approach.

Moving forward, Rabbideau said, district officials will do their best to help District Health Department No. 4 and the Alcona Health Center get the word out. He said anything district officials can do to bring down the number of infected people “is a benefit to us.

“It’s important people know it’s available and when it’s available so they can take advantage of it when they desire,” he said.

Smaller-than-expected shipment cancels vaccine clinics

ALPENA — Vaccination clinics in Alpena, Atlanta, and Millersburg are canceled after health officials learned a COVID-19 vaccine shipment will contain fewer doses than expected, District Health Department No. 4 announced today.

Canceled clinics include ones scheduled for Atlanta on Wednesday, Alpena on Thursday, and in Millersburg on Jan. 29.

About 1,900 vaccinations were scheduled for Alpena, Montmorency, Presque Isle, and Cheboygan counties next week, but the reduced shipment will only allow 500 people in those counties to be vaccinated during the week, Health Department spokeswoman Cathy Goike said.

Anyone scheduled to receive the vaccine during the now-canceled clinics will be contacted to reschedule appointments when more vaccine doses become available.

Residents are asked to not call the Health Department.

Tuesday’s clinic in Cheboygan at the Knights of Columbus Hall has not been canceled.

No second-dose administration was affected by next week’s shortfall, according to the Health Department.

After today’s vaccination clinic at Alpena Community College, health officials will have administered about 3,000 vaccinations, according to District Health Department No. 4 spokeswoman Cathy Goike.

COVID-19 vaccine: Frequently asked questions

Who’s currently eligible to receive the vaccine?

Those 65 and over, health care workers, police, firefighters, teachers and child care workers.

How do I get an appointment?

Pre-register online (preferred) at dhd4.org, dhd2.org, or clinic.meijer.com. Residents of Alpena, Presque Isle, or Montmorency counties can call 989-356-4507 and choose option 1.

What if I don’t have the internet?

The Alpena Senior Citizens Center can help. Call 989-356-3585.

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