LOS ANGELES — Two masks, and ready for the ultimate task: vaccination time. Count Ellis has been an LAUSD employee since 1990, and he currently works as a stock clerk for infant and pre-school Special Ed.
What You Need To Know
- LAUSD has officially begun providing vaccines to its employees at its recently opened vaccination site
- First starting with staff 65 and older, Count Ellis, an LAUSD stock clerk, made his appointment as soon as he could
- The Moderna vaccine is being administered by LAUSD health care professionals, in addition to other medical staff
- LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner has yet to provide a reopening date for schools
When the district notified employees that those 65 and over could schedule their vaccination appointments, Ellis did not hesitate.
“I’m very happy about today’s opportunity. I have been really concerned about when I was going to be able get the vaccine, because if we don’t get the vaccine, we are going to keep dying. This is the most important thing that could possibly happen to me, my family, and everybody that I know,” he said.
Each vaccination prepared one at a time, the Moderna vaccine is being administered by Los Angeles Unified School nurses and other licensed health care professionals at the Roybal Learning Center.
Ellis, anxiously waited for his turn, and said he is happy to see LAUSD not rush back into re-opening schools, with L.A. Unified serving more impoverished communities, the stakes are higher.
“I totally agree with waiting until the teachers are absolutely safe because again if you are wrong about the transmission inside of the classrooms then we are going to have dead teachers. We may have dead students, and dead family members. Until you can make the odds a little bit better on the side of safety, it should stay closed,” he said.
LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner has yet to confirm an official re-opening date, but he hopes the district’s intentional efforts with vaccinations will help speed up the process.
“So many of the communities we serve do not have access to health care, but our schools are located right in the middle of the community, we think we can be part of the solution,” Superintendent Beutner said.
While that solution is just launching, with the Roybal Learning Center serving as the district’s first school based vaccination site, employees like Ellis are grateful. He just made the cut, turning 65 a week ago.
“Actually, this is like another birthday present after my birthday last Saturday. This has been absolutely great, it took Monday when I got the email saying that I could get this shot, my relief was uncalculated, that’s about the best way I can describe it,” said Ellis.
Relieved and returning in one month, for the second dose.