Shady Side Academy faculty, staff can be vaccinated Friday at on-campus clinic

Shady Side Academy faculty and staff will have the chance to be vaccinated against covid-19 during a clinic Friday on campus.

It is one of two on-campus clinics that will be offered over the next month through Rite Aid, which will administer the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer shots to school faculty and staff.

“Last fall, SSA partnered with Rite Aid to host successful flu shot clinics on our campuses so we asked if they would be willing to do a covid-19 vaccine clinic on campus once educators were eligible in Pennsylvania,” school Director of Communications Jen Roupe said.

“As soon as Rite Aid received authorization from the state to vaccinate PK-12 education workers last week, those plans were able to be put into place pretty quickly.”

School President Bart Griffith canceled classes for all students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in order for the faculty and staff across all four campuses to receive the vaccine.

“Due to the sheer number of employees receiving vaccinations throughout the day, it simply would not be feasible for us to run classes,” he said.

Senior School athletics will run as scheduled.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week that educators across the state would be prioritized for the newly distributed one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, moving them into the ready phase.

Roupe said that many of the more than 200 Shady Side Academy educators had registered through the state to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that will be administered by local intermediate units this month.

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit is coordinating with the Pennsylvania National Guard and AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, LLC, to oversee site operations, including scheduling and vaccine administration.

Fox Chapel Area School Board earlier this week announced that many of its teachers and staff would begin being vaccinated through the AIU clinics.

“We are thrilled that Shady Side Academy’s faculty and staff are now eligible to receive the vaccine, especially since we have been providing in-person instruction for our PK-12 students five days a week since September,” Roupe said.

A second clinic with Rite Aid is scheduled for April 10.

Griffith apologized for canceling class on short notice but said the opportunity is one to be recognized and celebrated.

He is eager to help ensure the health and safety of the faculty and staff, “whose dedication has made in-person instruction possible this school year.”