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COVID-19 vaccine eligibility opens to educators March 1, 2021

Keck Medicine of USC is following protocols developed by the CDC and the state and county departments of public health to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine equitably and responsibly. On March 1, the vaccine clinic opened up to people ages 16 to 64 who work in education and childcare, emergency services or food and agriculture.

For Arlin Sosa, 36, a kindergarten teacher with Extera Public Schools, the opportunity to get vaccinated meant being one step closer to having students in her classroom again. The Boyle Heights resident has not seen her students in person in a year.

“It’s really hard, especially for the little ones. They really need that hands-on and that in-person teaching. We have been able to establish that classroom feeling but it’s hard for them to make friends and have that interaction over a screen. For most of them it’s their first year in school ever, so they don’t get to have the full experience of kindergarten, which is really sad.”

Keck Medicine has continued to prioritize equity in distribution, partnering with local charter schools like Extera Public Schools, a group of tuition-free K-8 charter schools serving children in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, and Green Dot Public Schools California, a network of 19 Title I middle and high schools purposefully located in communities that have been historically underserved in South and East Los Angeles.

“Ensuring equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine is our number one priority at USC. We are delighted to support these organizations,” said Felipe Osorno, executive administrator of continuum of care operations and value improvement at Keck Medicine.

Corri Tate Ravare, chief operating officer of Extera Public Schools, was happy to see so many of her colleagues at Norris Healthcare Center getting their first dose of the vaccine.

“My staff was thrilled to know they’re going to be protected and the community recognizes their role to be able to get back in school. They’ve been working hard at home, they’ve turned their homes into classrooms and now they’re very soon able to get back in their classrooms with their students.”

“(I’m getting vaccinated) to be an example for other people of color to help combat vaccine hesitancy. We have to curb this virus so one of the best ways to do it is to get as much of the population vaccinated as possible. As soon as you’re able to get it, you should get it.

“I’m a native Los Angeleno so to see our city get hit so hard was devastating. Seeing the communities of LA get back to where they are and to have our students and families see us again and know that we can deliver education in a safer way means a lot.”

Teacher Bridget Miller signed up for her vaccine “because it will allow me to return to in-person teaching and help students with the highest needs safely. I'm most looking forward to returning to the classroom because online schooling has been challenging.”

Elizabeth Smith, a teacher at Duarte High School and California State University, Los Angeles, signed up for her first dose “to keep my family, friends and community safe.”

For Alec Kanyuck, who received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from USC and is part of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, a fear of needles did not stop him from making the trip to the Health Sciences Campus for his vaccination.

“I’m looking forward to being less worried and going in to work in person.”

Husband and wife team Derek and Vanessa Lopez are both in the education field. So when Derek, who works at Green Dot's Ánimo James B. Taylor Charter Middle School in Watts as the school operations manager, was able to get an appointment for his vaccine, he made sure Vanessa, a teacher, got her shot as well.

Watch their story here

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