Norwin turnout strong for covid vaccine
May 15—After having lived in a dormitory at Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a roommate who contracted covid this past school year, Norwin graduate Jade Taylor did not hesitate to get a covid vaccine Friday afternoon at Norwin High School.
"I have a lot of family members who are younger and I babysit. I also am around my grandparents. I don't want to get them sick," Taylor said as she waited for her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Other than a little blood seeping from the injection point, Taylor said she felt fine after getting her first shot.
Taylor, who did not get covid from her college roommate, was among about 265 people from the Norwin community — students and family members from age 12 and older — who took advantage of the five-hour covid vaccine clinic at the high school's old gymnasium. When the clinic opened at 3 p.m., there was a long line of people ready to roll up their sleeves for the shot.
Rite Aid personnel administered the shots and were assisted in conducting the clinic by members of North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue, who helped take care of registrations.
Across from the registration table were packets of the bottled Pfizer vaccine next to sodium chloride, a saline solution that was injected with 1.8 ml. of the vaccine to dilute it. It was shaken 10 times to mix the solution, which provides enough doses for six shots, said Tom Murphy, a regional leader for Rite Aid pharmacies from Monroeville to Indiana, Pa.
While there have been many reports about vaccine hesitancy among the public by people who do not want to get the shot, Tom said the vaccine clinics that Rite Aid has conducted have been well-attended. Those who got their shots received vaccine cards with appointments for their second dose.
The clinic initially had planned to give 160 doses of the vaccine to those age 16 and older, but prepared for more doses when the federal Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the Pfizer vaccine was safe for children as young as 12, Murphy said.
Another youngster, Max Snyder, 14, an eighth grader from North Huntingdon, wanted to make sure he got his covid vaccine because his family will be taking a vacation to Hawaii. He was joined by his siblings, Joy, a seventh grader; Grant, a college sophomore; and Luke, a junior.
Lexi Hendler, 17, of North Huntingdon, a junior at Norwin, wanted to get her covid vaccine "to get things back to normal," and make it "better for other people."
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252, jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter .
