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Saybrook Educational Staff Vaccinated During Special Clinic Hours

Roughly 1,600 educators and school staff have received first COVID vaccinations at the Old Saybrook vaccine site and have appointments for second doses, according to Connecticut River Area Health District (CRAHD) Health Director Scott Martinson.

In March, educators and school staff—at both public and private schools—in Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Clinton, and other area towns were sent links to register for COVID vaccinations during special hours at the Saybrook vaccine clinic. The process was organized by CRAHD in conjunction with Saybrook’s Emergency Management Department and allowed staff to make appointments for first and second doses, according to Martinson.

Additional CRAHD member towns Deep River, Haddam, and Chester, as well as Essex and Killingworth, were also offered the special clinics.

CRAHD and the Saybrook clinic have now shifted attention back to vaccinating those 55 and over in accordance to Governor Ned Lamont’s Feb. 22 executive order reverting to the state’s age-based approach to vaccinating residents, Martinson said.

Westbrook Superintendent of Schools Kristina Martineau explained that she and Director of Public Health Zachary Faiella “meet weekly with the superintendents in Region 4, Clinton, Old Saybrook, and Region 17 as a regional group and with CRAHD.

“It is this group that worked closely together and partnered with the Old Saybrook Emergency Management Department to offer school personnel clinics,” she continued. “Day care providers, bus drivers, and private school [staff] in these towns were also invited to schedule an appointment.”

Likewise, the Old Saybrook School District “sent a link to all eligible staff members so that they could receive their vaccines at this invitation-only opportunity,” said Superintendent of Schools Jan Perruccio.

“CRAHD produced a convenient form that we sent out to our Westbrook public and private school educators,” Faiella explained. “From there, our educators were able to schedule their vaccine” on educator-specific days at the Old Saybrook clinic.

“CRAHD, being the lead local health department vaccinator for the region, has set up a great procedure on getting our region’s educators vaccinated,” he continued. The Saybrook vaccination clinic “has served our region and state very efficiently.”

The clinic is located on school property, in a parking lot that is shared by the middle school and the district’s central office. The clinic consists of tents and is entirely drive-through.

Martinson told the Deep River Board of Selectman at its March 9 meeting that the Old Saybrook clinic had thus far vaccinated more than 9,000 individuals.

Old Saybrook Chief and Police and Emergency Management Director Michael A. Spera did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Harbor News Staff Writer Elizabeth Reinhardt contributed to this story.