LWN111821

NOVEMBER 18, 2021
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 3
School children happy to get their shots at town clinic
VACCINE
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were shut down,” Bridget said.
“We want them in school.”
Clinic organizer and the
town’s COVID-19 Nurse
Liaison Toni Rebelo said every
effort was made to make the
event a positive experience for
all.
“This was just like coming to
school for a school event, not
going to the doctor. There was
zero stress for the most part,”
Rebelo said. “Families have
been waiting a long time for
this, so we wanted to be ahead
of the game and on top of it. We
planned ahead. We were ready
to go once the vaccine was
approved.
“The kids were so excited,”
she added. “They don’t want
their classrooms shut down
again.”
The shutdown Rebelo mentioned
is the recent closure of
two third-grade classes at the
Summer Street School for 10
days following a spike in the
number of cases at the school.
Fire Chief and Emergency
Management Team Director
Glenn Davis said many of the
breakthrough cases in town are
due to people contracting the
virus from their children.
“The kids come home from
school and pass it to their parents
or they get it from a sibling,”
Davis said. “You can’t
segregate at home so there’s not
much you can do to prevent it
except get vaccinated.”
According to Davis, 358
children were registered for
Saturday, with another 197
registered for Sunday. Davis
hopes that, between the clinic
and children getting vaccinated
through medical providers and
pharmacies, more than half of
all children now eligible to get
the vaccine (1,229 children in
K-6) have received first doses.
“There are more children getting
vaccinated elsewhere. The
number of cases has been better
(48 cases in the 1-9 age group
and 116 total cases over the past
14 days as of Saturday),” said
Davis. “Today can only help. It
was quick and simple and easy
peasy. It took about a minute
and a half tops once the kids
were with the nurses. We had
to hold a couple of hands and
nurses had to talk to a few kids
to make sure they were comfortable
but we had only one
child who didn’t get the shot
(Saturday). The kids are happy
to be here.”
Davis and Rebelo stressed the
importance of having the clinic
close to home.
“Kids know their nurses, they
know the school, they see their
friends, so the whole point is
to make it easier for folks who
want to take advantage of it,”
Davis said.
“We know what works and
we know what doesn’t,” Rebelo
said. “Half the battle is anxiety
so with our own staff and
nurses, kids see familiar faces.
It’s a personal touch, which you
can’t beat. Parents appreciate
being able to bring their children
to a place they know. Kids
see this as a school event, not a
doctor’s appointment.”
Davis credited Rebelo for the
clinic’s success.
“This is all Toni and her team.
She not only put this whole operation
together, she’s giving
shots. She’s coaching kids who
may be hesitant. Toni owns this.
She has made this very easy for
parents and kids.”
“This is a tribute to the town
leaders,” Brian Charville said.
“They made everything work
perfectly.”
School Committee Chair
Rich Sjoberg said the clinic
is a “prime example of forward
thinking on the Lynnfield
Emergency Management Team
“The clinic once again shows
the vital resource they are for
the community,” he said. “By
the number of registrations, I
know many Lynnfield parents
are eager to get their youngest
learners vaccinated. We will
continue to work hard to make
the vaccines accessible to everyone
in Lynnfield.”
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