Hundreds of Duval County students 12 and older get first Pfizer vaccine

Jacksonville, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health-Duval, Health Hero, and Duval County Public Schools teamed up to offer these vaccines at Sandalwood High School.

Inside the gymnasium, medical teams administered hundreds of Pfizer vaccines to students ages 12 and up.

Organizers say they expected about 400 students to get their vaccine dose on Saturday, and those same students will be able to come back on Saturday, June 5 and get their second dose.

Charles Hodge jumped at the opportunity to bring his 16-year-old son Carter Hodge to get his.

“I said, ‘Ooh, awesome!’” Charles said. “We were trying to get an appointment through our primary care doctor] but it was kinda hard, but when they opened up here for today, I said, ‘Awesome, let’s go! First shot. Let’s go!’”

Carter says it was a simple process that took 15 minutes. “I’m happy to get it done, you know,” he said.

Carter is finishing his sophomore year in-person, but says being vaccinated will still make learning easier. “I want to get back to normal,” he said. “It’s all complicated at school and time to get things simplified.”

Simplified could mean allowing more kids to learn face-to-face.

“This does give us more leeway of being able to have more kids come into the building,” said, Rhonda Motley Assistant Principal of Curriculum at Sandalwood High School. “With them in the building, we’re able to have more of that personal touch and give them that love that we long to give them,” she added.

Beyond the classroom, this could also mean more people at get-togethers for the Hodge family. Carter was the only one left to get vaccinated.

“We want to have everybody safe around their family,” Charles said. “You know, you could get together hopefully July [4th] weekend [and] have a good barbeque with friends and family.”

For students under the age of 18, parent or guardian consent is required.

Parents can sign up through their Duval County Public Schools FOCUS parent portal account.

The vaccination clinic will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This is the only clinic DCPS has announced so far, but there are other vaccine sites open.

Department of Health Consent Form

Sandalwood is located at 2750 John Prom Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. 32246.

Cox Media Group