On the morning of Tuesday, March 30, 2021, 919 people got a COVID-19 vaccine at clinics in Kanawha County’s eight public high schools. The clinics were for students 16 and older. All eight clinics ran at the same time, so every school got the same vaccine at the same time.
The students got their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. At that time, Pfizer was the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for people age 16 and 17. Each student needed a permission form from a parent. The health officer said staff would keep going until every student with a permission form got a shot.
Why the clinics were held
The day before, the county health department moved its vaccine effort toward high school students. COVID-19 outbreaks at eight schools involved more than 40 students and three teachers. Cases in younger people in the county had gone up by about 12 percent.
Students 16 and older who missed the school clinics could still get a vaccine at the health department with permission from a parent. The health department also said it would pair its COVID-19 testing sites with vaccine clinics.
See Health department to shift vaccination strategy and COVID-19 outbreaks reported in Kanawha schools. For the school clinics in June 2021 that gave second doses to students 12 and older, see second doses of COVID-19 vaccine at Kanawha County schools.
This information is from March 2021. It is kept here as a record and is not current advice. Check current guidance from the CDC or your doctor.