Marietta City Schools is offering an opportunity for students and families to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Beginning today, the district will allow eligible students and their parents or legal guardians to register for its vaccination drive scheduled for 1-5 p.m. April 16. Registration will close at 3 p.m. April 13 or whenever the district reaches maximum capacity.
Superintendent Grant Rivera said the district will partner with Marietta-based Poole’s Pharmacy to offer the Pfizer vaccine to recipients. The two-dose vaccine has been shown to be safe in children as young as 12, Pfizer said Wednesday.
Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized for use in people ages 16 and older. Gov. Brian Kemp last week expanded COVID vaccine eligibility to anyone age 16 and older.
The April 16 event is the third phase of the district’s plan to offer vaccines to Marietta City Schools community members. Marietta schools in early March offered the first dose of vaccines to its employees. About 900 employees participated, Rivera said.
Last weekend, just under 500 vaccinations were family members of employees, the superintendent said.
The district has about 1,400 employees and as of March 4, 8,523 students, Georgia Department of Education records show.
Rivera told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the system is prepared to administer 1,100 vaccines to students, parents or guardians on April 16. As of Tuesday, 319 eligible students and their family members have registered for the upcoming event. The superintendent said he hopes the team can give out 200 vaccines an hour.
“We’ve taken a very simple approach that if yow want it, we are here to help and if you don’t want it, that’s fine, too,” he said.
For families who want more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, the district will host a virtual town hall 8-9 p.m. April 12 with public health experts from Cobb and Douglas counties.
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