Hundreds of Latrobe school staff get COVID-19 vaccine through local pharmacy

LATROBE, Pa. — 200 employees of the Greater Latrobe School District lined up to get the COVID-19 vaccine Saturday.

According to our partners at TribLive.com, the district hopes to vaccinate about 200 more employees next week. More than 400 staff members said they were interested in receiving the vaccine, but The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in Latrobe only had 200 doses.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Porembka told TribLive.com that many staff members agreed to wait. Employees wanting the vaccine were prioritized by age, with older staff members going first.

The Greater Latrobe School District joins the Ligonier Valley School District in getting staff members vaccinated. School employees are technically in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccine distribution plan. However, some pharmacies with extra doses of the vaccine were allowed to move on to Phase 1B after administering it to their patients in Phase 1A, according to the state Department of Health.

A lack of clear guidance from the state has made it increasingly frustrating for school districts to make deals with pharmacies and get the vaccine, according to education officials. With the state’s expansion of Phase 1A to include everyone 65 and older as well as people from 16 to 64 with serious health conditions, doses of the vaccine have been harder to come by, with extremely limited availability.

11 Investigates: Chaos in Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Cox Media Group