FARMINGTON — Regional School Unit 9 hosted the first round of Franklin Community Health Network (FCHN) vaccination clinics on the Mt. Blue campus to vaccinate eligible students on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. At the clinic, students with parental approval ages 12 and up got the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Though Mt. Blue hosted the sites, the vaccination clinic is run by FCHN and follows the health network’s protocols. The goal of the clinic is to fully vaccinate students by the end of the school year and “remove hurdles or barriers for any students that might encounter” trouble in accessing a vaccination site for their second dose, according to interim Superintendent Monique Poulin.

Students were brought “throughout the day” down to the clinic, said Curriculum Coordinator Laura Columbia.

In order to receive the vaccine, parents were required to fill out a consent form. Without parental consent, children cannot receive the vaccination. It is unclear at this time how many students were signed up to receive the vaccine.

The Mt. Blue clinic was announced just after the Food and Drug Administration authorized use of the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12 to 15 on Tuesday, May 11. According to the Press Herald’s Joe Lawlor, another 58,000 Maine youths are now eligible to be vaccinated thanks to this change.

FCHN hosted an informational Q&A session for RSU 9 parents on Thursday, May 13, in anticipation of the clinic. The session was led by FCHN’s chief operating officer Barbara Sergio, Dr. Ryan Knapp, and Dr. Emily Jacobs.

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FCHN first offered an informational presentation on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. They explained how the Pfizer vaccination works, what paperwork is needed (including a registration form and a parental consent form), why they are recommending parents vaccinate their children, and what students and parents can expect at the school vaccine clinic.

When discussing “why get vaccinated?” Dr. Jacobs explained that the vaccine protects against the “long-term consequences from an infection” and “severe disease” that can cause “decreased exercise capacity.”

“With kids who are so healthy, we absolutely want them to be running around more, being healthy, breathing in the air … getting out and playing in the summertime like they typically do,” said Dr. Jacobs.

Dr. Knapp also explained that though “the vaccines that are available work pretty well against the variants that are out there, that could change at any time” and, as a result, “we’re in a race … to try and prevent this technology from not being able to work as well in the future.”

While presenting on “what to expect at the school vaccine clinic,” FCHN explained that the vaccine will be “provided at no cost to you/your child, regardless of insurance coverage,” that the “vaccine will be administered by FCHN nursing staff,” and emergency medical services will be onsite.

During the Q&A portion, parents asked about how the vaccine works, whether students will be forced to take the vaccine, and how to approach children who are resistant to getting the vaccine.

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When asked if FCHN will “give this vaccine if [parents] don’t consent to it,” Sergio said “we will not be giving any vaccine to any children that don’t have a signed parental or guardian consent” either through the signed consent form or a verbal consent over the phone to the nurses.

Does this vaccine change your DNA, another parent asked.

“Even though we’re talking about genetic material… [the vaccine] does not enter the nucleus of your cells, which is where your own genetic material rests. It has no impact on your own genetic material,” said Dr. Knapp, adding that “your body breaks it down super quickly.”

Dr. Jacobs also explained that side effects are “well-tolerated” and “short lived.”

RSU 9 has been planning for a “full return” in schools, according to Poulin. Thanks to the expanding age eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine and an announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that fully vaccinated individuals can forgo mask wearing and social distancing, the return to full-sized classrooms and schooling akin to a routine before the pandemic is looking more likely.

When asked if students who were not vaccinated during the initial round of clinics can receive their first dose during the second round in June, Columbia said that those details should be arranged by FCHN.

The next round of clinics to administer the second dose will be held June 8, June 10, and June 11.

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