Preparing for a School-Located COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

Confidence in vaccines, and in particular, COVID-19 vaccines, within our communities will lead to more people getting vaccinated, and will lead to fewer COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. Maintaining strong support for recommended vaccines will also help maintain strong community immunity from other preventable diseases. This toolkit is available to assist educational leaders and partners to reinforce confidence in this important prevention tool by creating well organized community based events to serve students and their families.

School located vaccination events (SLVE) have a long history in the United States and have successfully contributed to lower morbidity and mortality due to vaccine-preventable diseases. The school is an ideal place to reach millions of children from all cultures, socioeconomic groups, and age-groups. Additionally, the school is conveniently located in a familiar and trusted community environment. Schools also offer a convenient option for parents to have their children receive needed vaccinations without having to arrange for a healthcare provider visit or take off time from work.

This toolkit is designed to provide support for the administration of all vaccinations in a school setting however the emphasis is currently on the administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccination in order to ensure that we can get as many eligible students vaccinated as soon as possible.

Templates of Word documents (letters, announcements, consent forms, portions of FAQ’s ) can be customized to your school/ district / region and can be tailored to include the specific vaccinations and other information that will be included at your School Located Vaccine Event (SLVE). This toolkit also emphasizes the importance of the students medical home and includes linkages to the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) and other strategies for keeping students routine healthcare provider informed. Use the Table of Contents at the beginning of this page or scroll through to view resources.

This site will be updated as new information on COVID-19 vaccination recommendations becomes available.

Getting Started

First Things First - Communicating With Parents / Guardians and School Community

On May 12, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in 12-15 year olds. Everyone age 12 and up is currently eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that everyone in this group get vaccinated as soon as they can. Currently, there is no vaccine that has been approved for use for children under the age of 12 years old.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccination along with other mitigating strategies such as testing, masking and good hand washing, will help keep children and teens from getting seriously ill even if they do get COVID-19. Understandably parents, teens and children have concerns about the vaccine and the vaccination process and we want to make sure they know where to find the answers. The section below has sample handouts, letters and other communications – some that are ready to print, some that are customizable for your school/ district.

General communications for educating about importance of COVID-19 vaccination

Communicating with Parents – parents and school reopening – PDF Handout
How to Talk About COVID-19 Vaccines with Parents and Teens – Customizable Word Doc
How to Talk About COVID-19 Vaccines with Parents and Teens – PDF Handout
Six Ways Schools Can Promote COVID-19 Vaccination – PDF Handout
Letter to Parents/Guardians About COVID-19 Vaccines – Template
FAQ 12+ Vaccinations 5.12 ENG – PDF Handout
Spanish_FAQ 12+ Vaccinations 5.12 – PDF Handout

Communications specific to school located vaccination events

In planning your event you will have a variety of audiences to prepare for and communicate with about the event. See below for sample letters, announcements, templates and social media considerations/ recommendations.

Parent Communication – Template Letter
Student Communication – Template Announcement
Team Communications – Template Letter
School Administration Communications – Template Letter
Follow up

Questions and Answers About Safety and Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

General Information and Frequently Asked Questions

Get Vaccine Answers – What should I know about vaccines for children and teens?
The Science Behind COVID-19 Vaccines – Parent FAQ – American Academy of Pediatrics
Includes information on how mRNA vaccines are different from viral vector vaccines, how we know vaccines are safe and effective and what you should know about side effects.
COVID-19 Vaccine TOP 5 FAQs for Parents– CDPH VaccinateAll58
Conversation Guide: Pediatric Vaccinations – National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM)

Specific Concerns: In depth answers from vaccine experts

Videos featuring Paul Offit, MD of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP

Myocarditis
What should I know about COVID 19 Vaccine and myocarditis in teens – videos featuring Paul Offit, MD at the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Fertility
Can COVID -19 Vaccines cause infertility?

Long Term Side Effects
What are the long term side effects of COVID-19 vaccine?

Myth Busting
5 Common Myths About COVID-19 Vaccines and Children – via Beaumont Health

Disease Prevention
Getting Your Child Ready for the COVID – American Academy of Pediatrics

View the full toolkit now!

California Support and Resources

Sample Materials

Announcements

Consent Forms

Letters

Graphics an Media for Education and Promotion of School Located Vaccination Events

Resources from the California Department of Public Health for promoting vaccination to young people 12 years of age and up and their parents/ guardian: Social media graphics, video and audio spots, and other resources about vaccinations for youth 12 and older.