West Virginia Schools Superintendent Clayton Burch gave a statewide homework assignment Friday – and all it entails is the rolling-up of one’s sleeve.
Burch, who appeared at Gov. Jim Justice’s coronavirus press briefing that day, was talking about the rebranding of his department’s “I Got Vaxxed” campaign, which debuted this summer.
Twelve elementary, middle and high schools across the state with the best vaccination rates among students and staff will each receive $50,000 in October.
The superintendent announced its rebranding Friday.
It is now known as, “I Got Vaxxed to Get Back,” and those three additional words, he said, will carry all the social, and emotional, weight in the world this school year.
“Listening to the students and teachers out there, ‘I Got Vaxxed to Get Back’ is really highlighting that consistency,” Burch said.
“So when students talk about it, they’re talking about ‘I got vaxxed to get back to proms and homecomings and football games.”
The campaign comes at a time when most of the state’s counties are either red or orange on the county alert map used by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to chart the contagion.
And, when hospitalizations are up, with anywhere from 80% to more than 90% of new admittances being Delta-variant patients who have yet to be vaccinated.
Both Burch and Justice said more vaccination clinics in schools across all 55 counties will be launched in coming days to knock the new trend.
“I am totally committed to doing back-to-school vaccinations for those 12 and older,” the governor said.
“And, if and when vaccinations are recommended for those under 12, we will absolutely be ready to move quickly.”
In the meantime, Burch said the school districts will deem “central locations” for vaccination clinics, including the possibility of football stadiums on game nights.
Not a student? No worries.
“They want to make sure they capture as many of the community members as possible.”
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona made an appearance via Zoom and gave Justice and Burch each an A for pandemic management in the school system.
“Not only did you accept the call to action,” he said, “you really elevated it.”
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