CATHOLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STAFF RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS DURING 3-DAY ‘CLOSED POD’ PARTNERSHIP WITH LMU
The Department of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has launched a three-day “Closed POD” in partnership with Loyola Marymount University (LMU) beginning today to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to Catholic school staff and teachers. The Department of Catholic Schools has secured 400 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the LA County Department of Public Health which is the proportional share of the vaccine set-aside among all non-public schools in Los Angeles County for the week based on current supply.
“The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles serve the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles,” Paul Escala, Senior Director and Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese. “We are grateful to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Loyola Marymount University for partnering with us to ensure that the life-saving vaccine is accessible to our teachers, principals and school staff. After nearly a year of distance learning, this effort represents a significant milestone in this crisis and will provide a great level of confidence for our students, families and staff as we resume in-person instruction.”
The vaccinations will go to personnel at Catholic schools who are serving the lowest income communities with the highest case rates first. Anyone who received their first dose at the LMU POD will be registered and scheduled to receive their second dose there.
“LMU’s mission calls upon us to serve and lead, especially in times of need,” said LMU President Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D. “We stand in solidarity and partnership with the nation’s largest archdiocese as we provide a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for their schoolteachers and personnel. Together as educators, we will defeat this virus and lead the recovery and rebuilding of our communities.”
Among the schools participating in the vaccination “POD” are Mother of Sorrows (Los Angeles), Our Lady of Loretto (Los Angeles), Our Lady of Victory (Compton), Precious Blood (Westlake), Saints Peter and Paul (Wilmington), St. Aloysius (Huntington Park), St. Columbkille (South Los Angeles), St. Eugene (Inglewood), St. Frances X Cabrini (South Los Angeles), St. John Chrysostom (Inglewood), St. Lawrence Brindisi (Watts) and St. Vincent (Los Angeles).
The Department of Catholic Schools is also working with federal and state approved clinics and providers to identify opportunities to set-up “pop-up” clinics and mobile clinics at parishes and schools to facilitate access to the community and Catholic school personnel.
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