Innovative Healthcare Institute clinical laboratory director and pediatrician Dr. Diane Dunston talks to a bystander during the institute’s information session in the Clarke Central High School Mell Lobby on Oct. 12. As of Oct. 12, 52% of people in Clarke County are unvaccinated, according to Covid Act Now. “I have to do something about the (low vaccination rate). Of course, I feel angry. But anger doesn’t solve anything, so we have to act. That’s why I’m here at Clarke Central,” Dunston said. Photo by Lucas Donnelly
Healthcare professionals provided information about the COVID-19 vaccine to CCHS students on Oct. 12 in an information session prior to an on-campus Oct. 21 student vaccination drive.
Healthcare professionals from the Innovative Healthcare Institute visited the Mell Lobby at Clarke Central High School on Oct. 12 from 12 to 2 p.m. to answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for CCHS students and parents, as well as offer a sign-up sheet to receive the vaccine.
The information session was paired with a student vaccination drive, which the institute will hold on campus on Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. By providing information to students, the presenters hoped to assuage concerns about the vaccine and convince more students to get vaccinated.
“(Educating the community about the vaccine) is very important, because there’s so much misinformation out here. People are misinformed, and losing their lives because of the confusion,” IHI clinical laboratory director and pediatrician Dr. Diane Dunston said. “The children and families in this community that I’ve worked so hard for, for 30 plus years, have not had the proper information and access to the proper preventive care, and so we have lost too many lives.”
“The children and families in this community that I’ve worked so hard for, for 30 plus years, have not had the proper information and access to the proper preventive care, and so we have lost too many lives.”
— Dr. Diane Dunston,
Innovative Healthcare Institute clinical laboratory director and pediatrician
According to IHI clinical assistant Latoya Sims, while at CCHS, the team of physicians and support personnel handed out informational fliers and answered questions with the goal of making students feel safer about getting the vaccine.
“We’re here to make sure that (students) get the facts on COVID-19, and the vaccine, and to offer that for the kids who haven’t had a chance to get it yet,” Sims said. “(Us being here) was coordinated through the school board. We’re just here to educate and vaccinate.”
Through the information session, Dunston aimed to ensure that community members received correct vaccine information from medical professionals.
“I’ve been doing vaccines all my life. I’m a pediatrician. So getting the vaccine to the people who deserve it, like the students, is natural,” Dunston said. “So when (the district) came to me and said, ‘can you help us get our kids vaccinated in the schools?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. How can I say no?’”
CCHS sophomore Leon Tate, who is currently unvaccinated, plans to get the COVID vaccine at the drive.
“I hadn’t (gotten the vaccine), but I’m going to now for my health. (Previously) I had no transportation,” Tate said. “Everybody else is taking it so I might as well get it too. (I appreciate the vaccine drive) so students can get the vaccine.”
From vaccine drives and information sessions, which are also taking place at Cedar Shoals High School, Sims hopes vaccine rates will rise in the Clarke County School District.
“So many of us are dying. So many of us are having complications and don’t know why and most of it’s people that aren’t vaccinated. With a lot of (community members) not being vaccinated, it gets other people sick, which causes a bigger problem,” Sims said. “I would just try to encourage (everyone to get vaccinated). We think COVID-19 can’t happen to us but it can, and once it does, it’s too late. You want to get vaccinated before that happens.”
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