Submitted by San Juan County.

In a great piece of news, on March 9, San Juan County announced that the Washington State Department of Health was providing San Juan County Health & Community Services a shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine that is specifically allocated for K-12 educators and pre-school/childcare providers in the islands.

The shipment will contain doses sufficient to vaccinate all eligible educators in San Juan County.

“This is a very welcome boost to our schools’ effort to reopen,” said San Juan County Health & Community Services Public Health Nurse Stephane Stookey. “Our school and childcare facility staff are supporting our community in so many ways, and to get them vaccinated in short order is a tremendous step forward for the islands. My team is looking forward to getting these much-needed doses distributed.”

San Juan County Health & Community Services staff are working directly with leaders at 26 local schools or licensed and/or currently operational childcare providers. Staff at each of these organizations will be contacted with more details by their employer or by Health & Community Services staff.

The current plan is to complete this vaccination effort within the next week.

Orcas Island School District Superintendent Eric Webb highlighted the importance of this undertaking, “We recognize that vaccine is in short supply and that there are many in our community who are eligible. The schools in the islands are incredibly grateful to the State of Washington for making these doses available. We’re working hard with our entire school community to get reopening right, and this effort, along with the ongoing support of all islanders really helps us move forward.”

Leaders of formal school or childcare organizations that are actively providing support to groups of island children and who have not been contacted may reach out to the Health & Community Services team at covidvacinfo@sanjuanco.com.