A Bloomington pharmacy has stepped in to help the McLean County Health Department get COVID-19 vaccines into teachers' arms.Genoa Healthcare, which is located at Chestnut Family Health Center, has been scheduling vaccination clinics throughout the month of February.
Pharmacist Sam Wilkes runs the clinics. She said Genoa wanted to take the vaccines to schools that are outside Bloomington-Normal because the health department wasn't able to do that.
“They didn’t have the staff to go to the rural schools and they would have to schedule each district individually and assign it out on their own as opposed to us doing it,” Wilkes said.
Wilkes said the in-school vaccine clinics provide a convenience for schools and help teachers who haven’t been able to navigate online registration for clinics at Grossinger Motors Arena, where vaccine supplies also are limited and are intended to serve a larger population--everyone in Phases 1A and 1B.
The clinics also are held during the day, when teachers are in school.
“At Lexington, they were having difficulty getting to (Bloomington) to even get their injections,” Wilkes said of one recent clinic at Lexington High School.
Lexington Elementary Principal Julie Strating said 74 teachers and school community volunteers were vaccinated during the Feb. 5 clinic.
Strating said each of those staff members is scheduled to receive a second dose on March 5, adding Lexington sought to have the clinics on Fridays in case anyone experiences side effects from the shot.
She said about 80% of the district’s staff got vaccinated at the clinic, while three staffers had already received the vaccine.
"We are thankful to Genoa Pharmacy for providing this clinic on site," Strating said.
Wilkes said from 0% to 30% of teachers at each school already have received their vaccines prior to the clinics.
For schools in Bloomington-Normal, Genoa holds clinics at Chestnut Family Health Center.
Jessican McKnight, administrator of the McLean County Health Department (MCHD) said the school clinics have come in handy since teachers generally can’t make it to the clinics at the arena.
“We’ve had partners stand up and be willing to help us out which is wonderful,” she said.
Wilkes said Genoa gets about 200 vaccines a week from the county, so supplies are limited. She hopes that number increases soon, but it’s not clear when that might happen.
Wilkes said Genoa has vaccination clinics planned for 12 school systems in the county so far. Clinics are planned this week at Heyworth schools, Ridgeview schools in Colfax and Cornerstone Christian Academy east of Bloomington.
Wilkes, who said school clinics are now scheduled a month in advance, added she's grateful Genoa is able to make it easier for teachers to get the vaccine especially at a time when demand is so strong.
“I had one school teacher that said she hadn’t had a vaccine in 20 years, so I think even the people that are hesitant to get shots in the first place are reaching out and getting this one,” she said.
Wilkes said Genoa also plans to help the county vaccinate the general population, too, once enough vaccine doses become available.
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