CORVALLIS — After a year of adapting and worry, there's finally relief in some Western Montana schools, as local teachers begin receiving the first of new COVID shots being released by the federal government.
At Corvallis Primary School Friday afternoon, the teachers were smiling behind their masks, laughing and overjoyed to finally be receiving the vaccinations.
Local pharmacies like Bitterroot Drug and Corvallis Drug are jumping right in dispense the new federal allocation of the single-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which President Biden directed specifically to teachers this week.
And while "Cat in the Hat Day" already brought a light-hearted atmosphere to the building, it was the shots lifting spirits, with the thought of helping students too.
"It'd be nice to see the kids' smiles again everyday and things like that, so yeah, there's definitely some pluses happening", said Oliver Johnson Corvallis Primary Kindergarten teacher. "The biggest thing is that I'm so glad the kids have been in school most of the year. Teaching 5 and 6 year olds remotely is no fun at all and I love to have them in school, the rest of this year, next year, just like it used to be. So I'm getting my shot!"
"Sort of waiting forever. I started out deciding whether I wanted to or not.", said Jennifer Kozeliski Corvallis Primary 2nd grader teacher. "But I have elderly parents and a grand baby on the way. So I'm thinking of them and now I'm good with it."
Hamilton teachers were also among those starting to receive their vaccinations yesterday and today.
