Excitement and nerves mark COVID-19 vaccine event for Manatee County school employees

Folding chairs and privacy screens lined the hardwood floor at Palmetto High School’s gymnasium on Wednesday morning, when hundreds of school district employees received a COVID-19 vaccine.

MCR Health turned the gym into a makeshift clinic and offered the Moderna shot to all school employees in the area, regardless of age. While state guidelines currently permit vaccines for school staff ages 50 and up, MCR had doses from the federal government, which is pushing to have all school employees immunized this month.

“I feel a little safer,” said Greta O’Hara-Morris, a human resources manager for the School District of Manatee County. “Of course, I’m still going to wear my mask, wash my hands, social distance and all that.”

As someone with underlying health conditions, including diabetes and a past heart attack, she wanted to protect herself from COVID-19 complications. She also wanted to protect her family members and her coworkers at the School Support Center in downtown Bradenton.

But making an appointment and receiving the first dose was nerve-racking for O’Hara-Morris and other district employees. Though the FDA found Moderna’s product to be safe and effective, she was concerned about the side effects of a vaccine created in record time.

“I think the good outweighs my questions and concerns,” she continued, describing Wednesday’s experience as “very smooth.”

For preschool teacher Molly Bowbeer, the vaccine was another tool to protect the young children and families she serves.

Bowbeer said she became anxious last November, when travel picked up for Thanksgiving and Florida had recently lifted its restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses.

“It started to hit home: my actions could really affect the kids,” she said. “It got me a little nervous. I mean, I’ve always worn a mask and everything, but being more careful about where I go. I started ordering groceries for pick up and things like that.”

“I’m excited to say that I’ve started the vaccination process and feel a bit more confident,” she continued, vowing to maintain her other safety precautions.

Even after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, it was important to avoid crowds and to use social distancing, face coverings and hand-washing around unvaccinated people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to build immunity against the virus that causes COVID-19. It was also unclear if vaccinated people could still spread the virus to others.

“Early data show the vaccines do help keep people with no symptoms from spreading COVID-19, but we are learning more as more people get vaccinated,” the agency reported. “We’re also still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines protect people.”

Tens of millions of Americans were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, with each vaccine passing “the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history,” according to the CDC.

And in Manatee County, it was clear the COVID-19 vaccine brought needed comfort to the school employees who left Palmetto High’s gymnasium.

Through a partnership between the school district and MCR Health, approximately 1,000 school employees were expected to receive their first dose between events on Monday and Wednesday. They followed in the footsteps of more than 1,000 school employees who took advantage of similar MCR Health events in early February and early March.

And though it was unclear how many signed up, the Florida Division of Emergency management organized 1,000 single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines for district employees age 50 and up last weekend.

Vanessa Goldsmith, a graduation enhancement tech, was among the hundreds of people to visit Palmetto High on Wednesday.

“I was a little leery about having this vaccine,” she said. “But most of my colleagues had the vaccine and everybody is feeling fine and doing well. I was convinced by another prior coworker that the vaccine was the best thing for us since we work for the community and students and their families.”

This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Excitement and nerves mark COVID-19 vaccine event for Manatee County school employees."