Margie (Bonesho) Kaczmarek, a 1970 Messmer graduate and a retired nurse, administers COVID-19 vaccinations at a clinic set up by Messmer High School. (Submitted photo)
School teachers and staff from the greater Milwaukee area recently received their first doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine at a clinic hosted at Messmer Catholic Schools.
On March 4 and March 11, hundreds of employees of Messmer Catholic Schools, as well as Seton Catholic Schools, Milwaukee College Prep, Carmen Science and Technology, Hope Christian Schools, St. Marcus, St. Joseph Academy and Blessed Savior Schools received their vaccines, said Lisamarie Arnold, director of admissions and community relations at Messmer Catholic Schools.
“Two nurse’s stations were set up for the vaccinations, with a large socially distant observation station,” she said. “Participants entered through the gym doors on Capitol Drive and exited through the back doors on Messmer Street.”
The vaccines were done on a voluntary basis and 275 were vaccinated on the first day of the clinic. No person in the observation center had a reaction to the vaccine during the observation period. According to Arnold, the teachers and staff members were excited to be receiving the vaccines.
“All participating and partnering schools were grateful to be invited to participate,” she said. “This was truly a community outreach effort. We had the facility, space and experience in event management to handle this situation. We spent numerous hours planning the execution of this day. We were in constant communication with Midland Health and other health officials.”
In several weeks, a second vaccination clinic will be held to provide the second dose of the vaccines.
Messmer staff is not sure when the vaccines will be available to students.
“We are strictly following the guidelines,” said Arnold. “Currently, vaccines are not available to students, but when students are eligible, we hope to be a distribution site.”
