BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – At least one superintendent in the region expects schools to be used as a vaccination site for children between ages 5 and 11 once the CDC, state, and local health departments give Pfizer approval to be administered to the age groups.
While schools are awaiting guidance, Niagara Falls Superintendent Mark Laurrie told WBEN it will be the focus of his school to encourage parents to get vaccines and provide the appropriate educational information.
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“Where it stops short, in my opinion, is making this mandatory,” Laurrie said. “I am a staunch believer that the choice to be vaccinated or not, especially with children, lies directly in the hands of each and every parent. While I personally am going to encourage it and think it should be done, that is my personal belief. I think this lies back in the parent’s choice.”
Laurrie said if vaccine clinics are held for children in school, he wants parents to be present. Parents who choose not to have their child vaccinated may have to take extra steps, such as continued masking, to ensure their children can stay in school. He said previous mandates caused a controversy and believes they can be avoided by recommending vaccines but not mandating them.
As for who pays for the vaccines to be distributed? Laurrie said he hopes it will follow the similar path as testing, where the county would pay for the administration of the vaccine.
“I can foresee the hospital moving in and being the facilitator of those shots,” Laurrie said about Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. “In fact, next week, on the fourth of November, the hospital is going to use one of our schools to give boosters to any teachers or community members who want to do that.”
Laurrie said he awaits additional details but foresees some future issues like transportation and how the close contact policy could change among vaccinated students if they are in close contact.
Tracy Fricano Chalmers from the Niagara County Health Department said the county has pre-ordered 300 pediatric vaccines that will arrive prior to the CDC’s authorization.
“We meet with the school districts regularly, once a week on a conference call,” she said. “We’re planning with them should they want to offer vaccination in the schools.”
Niagara County has sent a survey to gauge interest on pediatric vaccines with the anticipation that many families will opt to take their child to a doctor’s office rather than inoculate at the school.
Chalmers said they anticipate some parents having reservations about the vaccine for their kids because it has only been authorized for emergency use.
“The other pushback we see from parents is the risk versus the benefit,” she said. “We don’t see very many children coming down with COVID, particularly getting a serious enough infection that they’re hospitalized or ventilated. Parents are carefully weighing the need for vaccination in this age group.”
Anyone with questions or concerns are asked to reach out to their pediatrician for advice.
Michael Cornell, Hamburg Schools Superintendent and the President of the Erie Niagara Superintendent’s Association, declined a recorded interview, saying they have not had any conversation with Erie County about how vaccine distribution would be operationalized in schools.
“We look forward to a dialogue with the county on the topic,” Cornell said.