HAMPTON, Va. — When you stroll through the double doors on the side of Jones Magnet Middle, you likely won't take many steps before running into the cafeteria. It's the second of the school's cafes, perfect for a world in which social distance had been a 14-month long necessity.
Today that cafeteria made up one of four vaccination clinics in schools throughout Hampton.
"The CDC decided it was acceptable for teens to get vaccinated so that prompted us to think, 'Can we get this done before school ends?'" said Glory Gill, the Director of Health Services at Hampton City Schools.
That task was helped by the fact that most school nurses had already worked as vaccinators at the Hampton Coliseum. The schools and city leaders partnered with Sentara to make sure it was as easy as possible for students to vaccinated.
"We've got parents who can finally get back to work. Things have been lifted so they're not at home, they won't be able to bring the kids so we try to make it easy," she said, citing an ever busying world.
The city chose Hunter B. Andrews, Jones Magnet, Phenix, and Spratley Gifted as vaccination sites, and provided transportation to and from each clinic for students at other schools.
"Of course, there are challenges, fears, and apprehensions, but to have it here and know the school system cares is great."
Students weren't the only ones who could take advantage. Tijuana Lambert is an economics teacher at Jones Magnet Middle, she got her vaccine on-site.
"I'm a spur of the moment person, so I said, 'Why not?' We got an email saying there were places available so I said, 'Why not?'" said Lambert. She had been contemplating going to get the vaccine, instead, it came to her.
That's why so many groups put in the work to make days like this happen, to eliminate any possible barrier to getting vaccinated, and hey, you just might see someone you know.
"I did see one of my students here getting the vaccine," she said with a laugh, off to see another group of them now that her 15-minute wait is finished.