By Stuart Foster, Contributing Writer
MARLBOROUGH – School officials say they’re happy about the multiple COVID-19
vaccination clinics held by the district amid the ongoing immunization push.
At the same time, though, they’re hoping to turn out more students for possible future clinics.
“We had 18 students participate,” Superintendent Michael Bergeron said of recent clinics for students at Whitcomb and Marlborough High School on Sept. 9 and 10. “So, not the number I was looking for overall, but I think it’s a valuable thing to continue to offer vaccination clinics.”
Speaking at a School Committee meeting on Sept. 14, Bergeron thanked Bouvier Pharmacy for being a partner for those clinics.
School Committee member Katherine Hennessey also thanked Bouvier Pharmacy, adding that she hoped that they would help facilitate future vaccination clinics.
“It would really be great to have them come back,” Hennessy said. “Hopefully, we can
encourage more.”
Sixty-six percent of Grade 12, Grade 11, Grade 9 and Grade 8 students were fully vaccinated as of Bergeron’s presentation. Fifty-nine percent of Grade 10 students were vaccinated, while 64 percent for Grade 7 students had received their full immunization against COVID-19. Thirty-one percent of Grade 6 students were vaccinated, although Bergeron noted those numbers are skewed low due to the fact that most sixth-grade students have not yet turned 12.
“As more students turn 12 throughout the rest of the school year, you will see those numbers start to move,” Bergeron told the School Committee.
Bergeron said that the numbers for student vaccination rates have been provided both through the city’s Board of Health and through school nurses, who can see the vaccination status of students.
Bergeron added that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the district was 20 as of Sept. 14. That was the same number observed on Sept. 8. Likewise, it remained up slightly from the 17 infections among students recorded as of Sept. 1, the first day of school.
