The Wesley School – a K-8 private school in North Hollywood where tuition ranges from about $ 28,000 to $ 32,000 a year – said in a statement to CNN that it was contacted by a hospital in January to indicate that he is compiling a list of teachers. and other essential workers who wanted to be vaccinated when the vaccine was available. ‘The school did not say which hospital was reaching out.
“When the hospital informed us that a vaccine was available, some of our teachers planned appointments and received the first dose of the vaccine,” the statement read, adding: “We make a serious appeal to public health officials to prioritize vaccination for all educators. ” The school did not say which hospital was reaching out.
According to the guidelines, educators may be eligible for phase 1B in March. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, said teachers can expect to be eligible this week in the next two or three weeks.
Meanwhile, the health department said in a statement to CNN on Thursday: “All sites must vaccinate health workers and people aged 65 and over, and if they have a significant amount of overdose doses, they should consult the Department of Public Health on how to ensure the best waste. “
The public school district turned down the offer
The news comes because local vaccination sites are forced to close temporarily only due to a shortage of supplies or limit the vaccination of vaccines to second doses.
A spokesman for the county’s health department told CNN the “health care system that provided these vaccinations did not receive the vaccines from the county of Los Angeles” but from the state of California.
“The provincial department of public health has reported this incident to the state and informed the provider that this action is in violation of the system that now exists in LA County, which only vaccinates healthcare providers and people 65+. We are already assured that this transgression will not be repeated. “
In a statement to CNN on Friday, the Northridge Hospital Medical Center acknowledged that it had issued a number of public and private schools in the area, including day care centers, and law enforcement agencies, inviting employees and teachers, to dispense the vaccine on Feb. 2. receive.
The hospital issued after the vaccinations were initially restricted to its leading health workers and members of the community aged 65 and older.
In a second statement to CNN, Northridge Hospital acknowledged that Wesley School was among the institutions invited to receive vaccinations in their hospital, as well as public elementary schools and law enforcement groups.
The hospital described the move as part of a ‘good faith effort’ and said it believed on the basis of ‘preliminary reports’ that the vaccination of individuals under phase 1B would begin on 1 February.
“We realize that it was premature to plan these appointments for individuals in Group 1B before the province reached the point of its prioritization,” the statement read, adding that the appointments had to be canceled when it became clear that the country did not step would not take.
“We regret that these vaccinations are not in line with the province’s vaccination admission approach,” the statement said. “We will continue to stay in close contact with the County Department of Public Health as we vaccinate those who are eligible.”
The Los Angeles Unified School District – where students have been learning at a distance since March last year – said in a statement on Twitter that it was refusing an offer of 100 vaccination slots from Northridge Hospital after consulting with health officials in the country.
“We have asked for guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which confirms that the rules only allow individuals 65 and older and certain other categories of people to be vaccinated.”
“Los Angeles Unified has been selected not to participate as it will only be involved in the vaccination efforts conducted under the rules of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,” the school district said in a statement.
Los Angeles faces vaccine shortages
But they were forced to close a day early Thursday after running out of vaccine doses “earlier than expected,” according to a mayoral spokesman. All five sites will now be closed until Tuesday or Wednesday.
But the confusion over whether or not teachers are eligible is not limited to this community in Los Angeles. Cities and towns across the country are working to navigate their own vaccination counseling, which often varies by country, and balances the scarcity of the vaccine with the needs and priorities of their communities, especially in terms of schools and teachers.
CNN’s Stella Chan contributed to this report.