The school partnered with Elements Pharmacy to hold their third COVID-19 vaccine clinic May 19 and May 22. The clinic was open to all members of the school community who are at least 12-years-old and took place at the lower school.

The email announcement from the school’s Community Health Office came May 11, one day after the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for use on 12- to 15-year-olds.  A link to sign up for appointments was sent in a follow-up email, and the clinic was cost-free.

Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg ’89 said the school made the decision to open up the vaccine clinic to a larger amount of people because of greater vaccination opportunities.

“At this time, the vaccine is widely available so there really is no need to prioritize one group over another,” Engelberg said. “As long as someone is old enough to get the vaccine, we can make it easy for them to do so, regardless of whether they are a current student, new student or family member of someone who attends HW.”

Engelberg said that partnering with Elements Pharmacy has made vaccinating the school community a simpler process.

“Elements is right down the street from the upper school campus, so it’s really convenient working with them, and they are very responsive to our needs,” Engelberg said. “For some time we have spoken with [Elements Pharmacy] about running a vaccine clinic for our 12+ students as soon as the vaccine is approved for that age group.”

Many students feel feel safer after receiving the vaccine

Eloise Dupee ’22, who received her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at one of the school’s previous vaccine clinics, said receiving the vaccine has made her feel more comfortable spending time with larger groups of friends.

“Both of my parents got vaccinated in early January, which already has made me feel safer, but being vaccinated myself definitely makes me less fearful of going out in public or hanging out with a larger group of friends,” Dupee  said.

However, Sofia Llevat ’22 said that her level of comfort at school remains the same since receiving the vaccine, as she said she felt safe prior to being vaccinated.

“I don’t have any pre-existing conditions, so being at school with masks and [being socially] distanced has already made me feel safe, so I’m not sure how much safer I feel with the vaccine because I already felt safe before,” Llevat said.

Dupee said the vaccination clinics have provided students with a great opportunity and have helped the school reopen.

“Vaccines can be so hard to find in [Los Angeles] because of the high demand, and the fact that HW is offering them to all students free of cost is certainly a game-changer for the HW community,” Dupee said. “One of the reasons so many people haven’t gotten vaccinations is because of the lack of accessibility, so by doing this, HW is doing a great service.”