When Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson announced the district’s spring reopening schedule, he noted the school system’s plan to vaccinate teachers on campus through a private provider.
Teachers and other school staff will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday but, like other workers and eligible groups in the county, many will be making appointments online and traveling to one of the county’s three vaccination sites.
The school system’s plan is on hold after winter weather delayed shipments this week and supplies remain limited. One to One Health, the provider contracted with HCS, applied to get vaccines from the state rather than having Hamilton County allocate doses to it from the county’s weekly shipment. The Tennessee Department of Health approved One to One Health to receive, store and distribute vaccines as a provider last week. So far, doses have not been delivered.
Cody Patterson, communications officer for the district, said the school system is ready to get its teaching staff vaccinated and still intends to use One to One Health once vaccines are available. The district has worked with One to One in the past to distribute flu vaccines.
The state has marked certain numbers of doses in the past from Hamilton County’s weekly shipment for priority groups, such as for residents of long-term care facilities. Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger told members of the county commission Wednesday the latest shipment of vaccines from the state did not allocate any doses for teachers.