Gwinnett County Public Schools and Walmart are hosting COVID-19 vaccination events this weekend for students and families in two swaths of the school district, and plan to vaccinate other families in coming weeks.
Eligible students who attend schools in the Duluth, Meadowcreek and Norcross High School clusters ― and their families ― can be vaccinated Saturday at McClure Health Science High School. Families in the Brookwood, Parkview, Shiloh and South Gwinnett High School clusters can get their shots Sunday at Shiloh.
Families in those clusters will receive emails with information, consent forms and a link to sign up for a Pfizer vaccination appointment, the school district said in a news release.
The Atlanta Gladiators minor league hockey team and its charitable foundation are collaborating to host the vaccination events, according to the Gwinnett school district.
“We appreciate Walmart and the Gladiators for their partnership to vaccinate GCPS students and their families,” Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks said in the news release. “It is important to increase awareness of vaccine availability and of opportunities. Increasing the numbers of vaccinated students and community members is a top priority and a key to our community’s efforts to recovery and a return to normal.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week approved the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 and older, expanding eligibility which had previously been limited to those aged 16 and older. Now, most middle and high school student are eligible for vaccination.
“Achieving widespread COVID-19 vaccination is how we will eventually end this pandemic,” said Nirmal Patel, Walmart’s health and wellness director for Georgia.
Since August, the school district has reported more than 5,000 COVID-19 cases among students and staff.
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