School employees receiving vaccines
Hamilton City School District staff are scheduled to get vaccines today.
“Right now, we have 911 scheduled, which is over 75 percent of their eligible employees, because they have 1,200, so I’m really pleased with the number of people getting vaccinated,” she said. “It’s really critical.”
On Tuesday, 219 teachers in parochial schools were vaccinated, along with people in educational services who are with students who have special needs, “which was a good turnout, despite the fact we had a snow day. So they did come in on their day off.”
Other key points
- Those who have received both shots should continue wearing masks, she said.
- Butler County has had 33,750 cases of the virus, including 4,946 in Hamilton. The county has had 254 deaths, including 84 in Hamilton.
- While Farrar at an earlier meeting said the city would focus on giving first shots rather than immediately providing second doses, that no longer is the case, she told this media outlet: “Vaccine supply is still very slow to come to us but we are certainly completing everyone’s series as is expected of us.”
Don’t be choosy about vaccines
With a third vaccination, by Johnson & Johnson, likely becoming available in coming weeks, Farrar said people should not be picky about which shot they receive. The J&J vaccine requires only one shot andhas a 72-percent effectiveness. Yet it also is 85 percent effective in preventing death and severe effects from COVID-19 cases.
“We are not only about preventing disease, but we are about preventing death and adverse side effects. I don’t want to ever lose sight of that,” Farrar said. “It’s just as good of a vaccine. It is appropriately going to be used and approved. I know it will go through.”
“They’re all good, and they’re all going to help us move forward.”
Drive-through vaccinations
The city on Thursday was scheduled to vaccinate 500 people — 73 of them receiving first vaccinations, the rest getting their second doses.
The city is using drive-through method because it’s efficient and also because it helps prevent slips and falls by elderly people receiving the shots.
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