AUBURN — The Auburn school department will host a series of COVID-19 vaccine clinics for elementary school students beginning next week.

The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to students in Fairview, East Auburn and Walton elementary schools Tuesday, and students at Park Avenue, Sherwood Heights and Washburn elementary schools Wednesday. These clinics will take place in the schools. The second dose will be available after the Christmas break on Jan. 11-12.

Children will not be vaccinated without parent permission.

Parents can register their children age 5 and older by completing the consent form located on the district’s pooled testing information page. Students were given printed forms to bring home Friday. The Auburn Public Library offers printing services, if needed.

Forms should be brought to school by Monday.

According to a dashboard by the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, an estimated 40%-44% of Auburn students age 5-18 are vaccinated.

Originally, Auburn Superintendent Cornelia Brown said the district would encourage families to schedule vaccine appointments at the Auburn Mall. However, she said the district decided to hold school vaccine clinics after being presented with a good plan by the Maine CDC.

Students who are vaccinated or who participate the district’s pooled testing program do not have to quarantine for 10 days if they are identified as a close contact of someone who tests positive unless they display symptoms.

Brown reminded families the last day for pooled testing will be Dec. 17 in a message to the school community about the vaccine clinics. The state does not run the pooled testing program on short school weeks. Pooled testing will return Jan. 3, according to the message.

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