In early January, Linsly teachers were among a first wave of educators to receive the initial half of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine in West Virginia.
“There was a long line that snaked through the school, but I was glad to be in it. The group of people there were the happiest I’ve seen in a long time,” said Dr. Bruce Edinger, who teaches freshman biology at Linsly (Dr. Edinger is my father). Vaccination is one of the key steps for returning to in-person instruction, as maximum safety for the staff is crucial.
Dr. Edinger received a dose of the Moderna vaccine, one of two vaccines approved for use by the FDA, in a Jan. 8 group clinic at Wheeling Park High School. Teachers and staff members from several Ohio County schools, both public and private, were there. He will have to go back for a booster shot sometime in February.
This first round of teacher vaccinations was limited to those over age 50. As more vaccines become available, the program will be expanded to younger teachers, according to news reports. The state of West Virginia has already vaccinated almost all interested healthcare/emergency services workers, nursing home residents and those over 80. Residents who are at least 70 have recently been given access. My grandmother, in her nineties, was part of the Ohio County residents over 80 group, and received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine on January 16th. The state has become known nationally for quickly rolling out the vaccines as soon as they are delivered and delivering them in one of the most efficient manners in the nation.
While the first vaccine dose offers only limited protection from the virus, Dr. Edinger said it is a comfort to know that he is on the way to being able to fight off a potential COVID-19 infection. This is especially true as the actuality of in-person learning returns to the Linsly community.
Dr. Edinger experienced some mild arm pain after the shot, but was otherwise alright. “As a science teacher, I appreciate what it took to get these vaccines developed so quickly,” Dr. Edinger said. “Science has done what it can do. We just need to keep doing what the rest of us need to do until enough vaccines are out there for herd immunity. Social distancing and wearing a mask is the least of the other things we can do.”
