From kcbd.com
The City of Lubbock hosted its bi-weekly COVID-19 virtual news conference. Mayor Pope and Public Health Director Katherine Wells were joined by nurses from Lubbock-area schools to discuss how districts are handling the spread of the virus in our classrooms.
Wells outlined the criteria for those eligible to receive the Pfizer booster. Pfizer booster shots are only approved to those:
- 65 and older
- 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
- 18+ who work in high-risk settings
- 18+ who live in high-risk settings
More information can be found on the CDC’s website: Who Is Eligible for a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot?
Jessip Brezthill, nurse with Lubbock ISD, said the majority of parents who are vaccinated don’t usually catch COVID-19 if their kids are sick with the virus.
Hannah Deal, head nurse at Frenship ISD, added while there have been cases on Frenship’s campuses, none have been severe. She said typically children have a faster recovery time after catching the virus than adults.
Director of Health Services for Lubbock-Cooper ISD Kristy Rose said our school nurses have one main goal: to keep sick kids out and healthy kids in school. She said most of Lubbock-Cooper’s staff is vaccinated and the district has seen less cases among teachers.
If your child is sick, here are some screening guidelines to follow to decide when to keep them home from school:
- Fever 100.0 or higher
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- known exposure to COVID-19
Your child should be symptom-free for a least 24-hours.
All nurses agreed they have seen minimal spread of the virus within classrooms. Brezthill said he’s seen most of the spread outside of the classroom among high school students.
As brands like Moderna are seeking booster approval, city leaders say you should stick with the same brand you received for the first two shots. Wells says while getting a booster is key, getting the community to get their first dose is just as important. The message remains the same — vaccines will help slow the spread and reduce hospitalizations.
“Things are better, but we need to stay the course,” Mayor Pope said. “We are improving. The vaccine is safe and effective.”