In true teacher form, Stacy Ruffer wanted to turn his COVID-19 vaccine appointment into a learning opportunity.
The morning before he was set to get his shot, Ruffer, an English and computer science teacher at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins, had his students journal about it in class.
The prompt? What superpower will be my most likely side effect from getting vaccinated?
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping for super strength,鈥� Ruffer said after getting his shot on Tuesday. 鈥淎nd the kids were all over the place.鈥�
Ruffer was one of hundreds of Poudre School District staff who received their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Banner Health this week. (Colorado educators became officially eligible on Monday).
To accommodate teacher schedules, the hospital system held a series of evening clinics at its clinic in Windsor. Those in attendance expressed joy and relief upon getting their shots.
鈥淚鈥檓 really glad that they鈥檙e putting educators at the top of the list so we can hopefully see our students more again,鈥� said Brooke Wagner, a counselor at Rocky Mountain High School. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really important to us.鈥�
Students at Rocky have been using a hybrid learning model since coming back from winter break, Wagner said. She鈥檚 been meeting with students one-on-one with masks on. Social distancing has been difficult for everyone, she added.
So, when she received a link to sign up for an appointment through her work account last week, she didn鈥檛 hesitate.
鈥淚 think we鈥檒l have more of a sense of safety going forward,鈥� Wagner said. 鈥淗opefully we can give our students hugs and high fives sometime in the near future and be able to see their smiling faces. It's hard to see my students under their masks all the time.鈥�
Gov. Jared Polis moved educators higher up in the state鈥檚 vaccine priority line in . The latest shuffle also prioritized residents age 65 and older, as well as top government officials and workers at child care facilities.
The shift to vaccinating teachers represents a major step forward in Colorado鈥檚 massive vaccine rollout, which has so far seen more than half a million doses delivered. Before, only health care workers, first responders and seniors over the age of 70 were eligible.
The Colorado Education Association, the state鈥檚 largest teacher鈥檚 union, said the move was an important step.
鈥淔or the past year, the pandemic has and continues to take a tremendous toll on educators, students and their families,鈥� the union said in a statement. 鈥淲hile we believe that ALL essential workers should be a priority for the vaccine, this is a gigantic step toward our longstanding goal of getting students back into classrooms.鈥�
In response to the vaccine shuffle, local health departments and vaccine providers began coordinating with local districts to schedule staff for appointments. According to the state, most educators will now receive an invitation for an appointment through their employer. (Other eligible residents should sign up directly with a provider).
Poudre School District said in a statement it plans to make appointments for all types of staff members in the coming weeks, including teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff and safety officers, among others. The school has no plans to modify current coronavirus safety protocols, but that could change as vaccinations ramp up.
鈥淭his is a positive move forward that supports PSD鈥檚 plans to keep schools open,鈥� the district said in a statement.
Other districts in Northern Colorado confirmed to KUNC they鈥檝e already started scheduling staff for appointments. Greeley-Evans School District 6 sent a small group of staff to get their first doses earlier this week, according to Theresa Myers, the district鈥檚 spokeswoman.
鈥淲e are working through our priority list as vaccines become available,鈥� Myers said in an email. 鈥淩ight now, there just are not many doses to give out.鈥�
Thompson School District has started working with UCHealth, Banner and Kaiser Permanente to schedule vaccination appointments for staff, the district said in a statement.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to provide staff members with three specific portals to register and schedule vaccinations as they become available,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淭his effort includes a focus on providing equitable vaccine access to our frontline staff members.鈥�
It鈥檚 unclear exactly how long vaccinating all of Colorado鈥檚 educators will take. In a virtual press conference on Feb. 9, Polis said he hopes the majority can get their first vaccine doses within the next three weeks.
鈥淚t may take a few weeks to get to everyone. We know it will,鈥� Polis said. 鈥淏ut if you鈥檙e eligible to get one and you want it, you will.鈥�
In a community forum , Northern Colorado hospital leaders pleaded for patience from educators and other newly eligible residents. Most hospitals are still working through vaccinating the 70-and-up population and even some health care workers, said Margo Karsten, Banner Health鈥檚 western region president.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard because everyone wants a vaccine, which is good,鈥� Karsten said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still committed to getting all 70-and-older residents vaccinated. Now as we look at educators and child care providers, we鈥檙e going to feel that (demand) get even tighter.鈥�
The push to vaccinate teachers comes as Colorado鈥檚 COVID-19 case numbers continue to fall. Hospitalizations from the disease are at their lowest level since early October.
As a result, many communities have loosened coronavirus restrictions on businesses. Some school districts have returned to full in-person learning. Others are still partially remote.
A parent himself, Stacy Ruffer knows how difficult remote learning has been for many families.
The English and computer science teacher said the arrival of vaccines has brought a sense of relief and levity for many staff and students after a tough year. His students cheered for him when he announced he was getting a vaccine.
鈥淚n one of my classes, everyone is a really big Hamilton fan, so we were all talking about 鈥榥ot throwing away my shot鈥� and tying it into that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey thought that was really funny.鈥�
Bradford Lardner, an English teacher at Kinard Middle School in Fort Collins, was opposed to the idea of returning to in-person learning without vaccines. He was happy to see his district select a hybrid learning model for the start of 2021.
But after getting vaccinated at Banner鈥檚 Windsor clinic this week, he said he鈥檚 ready to go back to all in-person learning when it鈥檚 safe to do so.
鈥淚 think for me and a lot of co-workers, our comfort level was hinging on the vaccine,鈥� Lardner said. 鈥淚鈥檓 definitely more comfortable now.鈥�