School districts in Central Arkansas have had mixed results vaccinating employees who want the covid-19 shots, education officials said on Wednesday.
In Saline County, districts partnered with well-supplied health care providers for vaccine drives for educators.
But in other places, like Cabot, only a fraction of the faculty and staff members have been inoculated because of limited vaccine supply.
Employees of Saline County schools in Bauxite, Benton, Bryant, Glenn Rose and Harmony Grove had the opportunity to receive their first doses Saturday at The River Center in Benton.
Nearly 700 Bryant faculty and staff members were vaccinated on Saturday, said Devin Sherrill, the district's director of communications. She also estimated that about 50 others were vaccinated at Bryant Family Pharmacy.
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"It will be left up to individual to make appointments online at local pharmacies. They're working to open slots and help out with that," she said.
As many as 70% of the about 500 Benton School District staff members chose to and have been vaccinated, district officials said. This is an increase compared with the 50%-60% who said they wanted the shots in a district survey earlier this month.
"I was impressed. There was a really good turnout," said Isabella Bradley, district public relations director.
Jon Martin, owner and pharmacist at Bryant Family Pharmacy, estimated that about 1,200 Saline County school employees had been inoculated across five providers.
Martin's pharmacy has held several "make-up days," and it will give the second-round of vaccination doses Feb. 13, Martin said.
In Cabot, pharmacies -- and therefore school employees -- are struggling to get any vaccines, said Vonda Morgan, the Cabot district's director of health services.
Only about 200 of the more than 800 employees who said they wanted a shot have been able to get one, she said. The district has 1,350 employees.
"We haven't been able to figure out what's going on," Morgan said. "We just haven't gotten them into the county for staff. Local pharmacies are requesting vaccine every week. We're just hoping every week we'll get some more, and in the meantime, just accepting what they get."
The vaccine supply in the state is limited, but as allocations increase, so will vaccinations, according to the state Department of Health.
"We work to distribute vaccine as equitably as possible based on the population and demographics of a particular area," said Danyelle McNeill, a Health Department spokeswoman. "We have made sure that vaccine is distributed across Arkansas -- every county in the state has received vaccine. Because of the limited supply, schools are having to prioritize who gets vaccinations initially."
Arkansas did not receive the number of vaccine doses originally anticipated, said Janice Warren, assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services at the Pulaski County Special School District in a video released Wednesday.
"It's left up to the pharmacies to get those vaccines, and then based on the number that they get, they contact us," she said. "There is no, per-se, plan as to how the vaccines are going to be administered across the state. We just want to help them help our staff."
On Wednesday, 55 district employees were vaccinated at Mills High as well as 20 at Lawson Elementary. About 90 are scheduled to be vaccinated at Maumelle Middle School today, district officials said.
Warren has set up a communication hub to help connect employees with vaccine opportunities with pharmacists, but employees also are encouraged to seek out opportunities at pharmacies or the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said Jessica Duff, district executive director of communications. Many were able to get their first doses at a Baptist Health Clinic on Jan 18-19.
"If they can get it elsewhere, that's awesome, but we don't get reports back," Duff said.
Several hundred Conway School District employees have been vaccinated, communications director Heather Kendrick said, but it's difficult to keep track. Around 700 of the more than 1,200 employees reported to the district that they wanted shots.
"We've been working together with [pharmacies] and when they have some available, they've been great working with us to get people scheduled," she said. "The only thing we've seen is the bigger issue of hospitals and pharmacies waiting on doses."
The Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District had around 200 educators and staff members receive vaccinations on Jan. 18, said Cheesa Williams, marketing and communications coordinator.
Employees have continued scheduling inoculations this week, she said. The district is also working with a pharmacy.
"One of the admins will send an email with a link to sign up, and then they just have to present their school ID to show they do work for the school district. Very simple," she said.
About 240 of the 575 employees that responded to district surveys said they wanted the vaccination. Williams thinks more probably will end up wanting it.
"Some have changed their minds. I'm one of them," she said. "I didn't want it at first because I was uncertain, and now I'm going to get it this week."
The Little Rock School District will begin its vaccination schedule as planned today and Friday, a spokeswoman said.