WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A South Jersey high school is set to become one of the first schools in the area to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to its students, as the state expanded vaccine eligibility to anyone over 16.
Students at Washington Township High School have begun signing up to get their Pfizer shot on Friday at school.
Principal Jonathan Strout said a parent connected him with Inspira Health. He talked with their representatives last Friday at 10 a.m., and by 3 p.m. after a site visit, they determined the school gym would work.
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“Things moved pretty quickly," Strout explained. "We’ve been searching and we’re very excited for the opportunity, and I’m blown away with how quickly it’s been put together.”
Strout said the shots are not mandatory.
Students who are 16 or 17 need a parent’s approval, but those who are 18 can sign their own consent.
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About 2,200 students attend Washington Township High School, with 1,459 of them 16 or older. The school is on a hybrid schedule, with about 60% of students going to school for half-days in person.
Strout said for seniors, the shots are just in time.
“We are actually going on a senior trip. We’re taking approximately 140 students to Disney,” Strout explained.
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“This will actually put those students in position to be fully vaccinated prior to that date.”
Strout says administrators from several other districts have contacted him about how to provide the vaccine for students.
“I think we may be one of the first schools, and if that helps other schools then that’s a great thing as well," he said.
“This is something we wanted to be able to do to further protect our students and our entire community, quite frankly."