JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson Public Schools teamed up with Northtown Pharmacy to host a COVID-19 vaccine drive on Monday.
The vaccine drive included two clinics– one at McLeod Elementary and one at Chastain Middle School. About 80 shots were administered at McLeod alone.
“It was a great turnout, great coordination, great support from the faculty and staff that helped organize everything. The students were able to get in and out today,” said Dr. Andrew Clark, owner of Northtown Pharmacy.
The Pfizer vaccine was administered to JPS employees and students ages five to 17 with a parent’s consent.
“I will say when you’re vaccinating children it takes more patience than anything any time you’re working with kids. They’re nervous and fearful just as adults are,” said Tia Holloway, student at University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy.
Community members were also allowed to attend. Chastain principal, Sharon Terrell said she is happy to be a part of this event even though cases have remained low at her school this year.
“It’s such a needed event with the rise in cases of COVID. We did invite the community and other schools out to the vaccine drive with the hopes of downgrading the spread. Thankfully, prayerfully we have had very few outbreaks, very few incidents with faculty and staff and even students,” said Terrell.
With the Omnicron variant and holiday travel, the owner of Northtown Pharmacy is one of many doctors encouraging all eligible adults and children to get vaccinated.
“Because COVID is constantly changing, constantly mutating, we need to make sure that we’re protecting ourselves against those different variants, including Omicron. So, the vaccine is our best protection against those variants, against those mutations,” said Dr. Clark.
Northtown Pharmacy said they will continue to vaccinate as many Mississippians as possible. JPS has also partnered with different organizations to host vaccine clinics at different schools throughout the semester.