Healthcare District, Desert Care Network and Palm Springs Unified will provide COVID-19 vaccines to 9,500 eligible students starting May 24

More than 9,500 middle and high school students who are enrolled in the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Starting today and continuing through Wednesday (May 24-26), these students will have the opportunity to receive the Pfizer vaccine as part of a collaboration of Desert Healthcare District and Foundation, Desert Care Network, and the school district.

“Desert Care Network is proud to partner with the Desert Healthcare District and Palm Springs Unified School District to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to their staff and students,” said Linda Evans, Chief Strategy Officer for Community Advocacy for the Desert Care Network. “We’ve been providing vaccinations to our community since January, and are honored to be working with PSUSD to now provide vaccinations to teachers, students 12 years old and older, and their eligible family members, in the convenience of their school.”

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use for anyone 12 to 15 years old. The requirements to receive the vaccine are: a form of identification (student ID card is valid); completed consent form, insurance card if applicable; and a parent/guardian must be present with students younger than 18.

Vaccination clinics will be held on a different campus each of the three days, and opportunity drawings will take place on site for participants to win prizes. See the locations, dates/times, and how to register here for the first week of clinics. Additional clinics are planned.

The vaccination outreach effort with PSUSD is the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation’s second collaboration with a local school district. The Healthcare District also is also working with Desert Sands Unified School District to vaccinate its eligible students, their families, school faculty, and staff.

Working with school districts is an integral step in reducing the impact of COVID-19 in the Coachella Valley, said Desert Healthcare District and Foundation CEO Conrado Bárzaga. “By bringing the vaccine to eligible students and their families, we are helping to close the gap between the infection rate and the population immunity needed to protect our community.”

Since fall 2020, the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation has worked with multiple valley-based nonprofit organizations known as the Coachella Valley Equity Collaborative. This group of collaborators coordinates and implements a response to COVID-19 which includes education, testing, vaccines and resources with an emphasis on equity.

“We are grateful to the CV Equity Collaborative and the Desert Care Network for partnering with us to get as many of our students and their family members vaccinated as possible,” said Palm Springs Unified School District COVID-19 Commissioner Levaughn Smart. “Having clinics at neighborhood schools makes getting the vaccine very accessible to our families, and we hope many will take advantage of these opportunities.”

 

About the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation

The Desert Healthcare District is a local government agency formed in 1948. Its mission is to achieve optimal health at all stages of life for all District residents. The District includes more than 400,000 residents and encompasses the entire Coachella Valley. The District and Desert Healthcare Foundation, together, are one of the largest funders in the valley. These funds are used to assist residents — especially the underserved — in accessing vitally needed resources, such as primary and behavioral healthcare, housing, food, and transportation to medical appointments. Learn more at www.dhcd.org.

 

 

 

 

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Image Sources

  • High school students getting vaccinated: Shutterstock