Warren Township Schools Vaccine Clinic
During the afternoon of June 7th, seventy-seven Warren Middle School (WMS) students received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. In a partnership between Warren Township Schools, the Warren Township Office of Emergency Management, and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, a vaccination clinic was held at Warren Middle School for any Warren student aged twelve or older.
The goal of the clinic was to provide a convenient community location and equitable access for Warren Township students and community members to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine.
After receiving full support for the vaccine clinic from the district’s Return To School Committee, many staff members got to work in collaboration with the Prosecutor’s Office to make the clinic a reality. Dr. Derek Ressa, Director of Special Services, Mrs. Lisa Lontai, WMS School Nurse, Mr. Patrick MacNamara, District Data Manager, Mr. Ronald Berry, District Security Manager, Mr. George Villar, WMS Principal, Ms. Maria Mensinger, WMS Assistant Principal, and Mr. Philip Shimko, WMS Head Custodian worked together to develop a plan to notify the school community, send and receive registration information, general logistics, scheduling, and safety.
This district is appreciative of the working relationship with the Warren Township Office of Emergency Management, who facilitated volunteer EMTs to be on-site the day of the clinic, as well as the Somerset County Prosecutor’s office who organized and provided the services of the nurses who administered the vaccine, and the detective and agent responsible for checking the students in.
“Warren Township Schools is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and Warren Township EMTs to provide this vaccine clinic to our students 12 years of age and older. It is another step in our Return to School process to ensure the health and safety of our students and provide an opportunity for those who would like to be vaccinated.” – Dr. Derek Ressa
Both Ressa and Lontai were happy with the number of students that attended the clinic. Lontai noted, “Out of the 540 students at Middle (not all of whom qualify, because not all are at least 12 years of age), 221 have received at least one dose of the vaccine (that includes those who got vaccinated at the WMS clinic, and 17 students have received both doses of the vaccine. That’s 238 students in total.”
A second clinic is scheduled for June 28 for the participants of the June 7th clinic to receive their second dose. The district would like to thank all of the volunteers for their time and expertise as well as those families who participated in the clinic.
