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Marietta City Schools hosts vaccinations for students age 16-17 and their parents

Eligible students and their parents are scheduled to get their first shot of the vaccine Friday around 1:30 p.m.

MARIETTA, Ga. — Marietta City Schools is hosting a Pfizer vaccine event on Friday at Marietta High School for 16- and 17-year-old students and their parents and guardians, who would like to receive the vaccine. 

The event is optional and was held via drive-thru.

Teachers and staff who have already received their first shot, in a previous event held in March, will be able to get their second shot starting at 9 a.m. Eligible students and their parents are scheduled to get their first shot of the vaccine around 1:30 p.m.

In all, the school district expects close to 2,000 people to receive vaccines.

Barbie Esquijarosa, an English as a Second Language teacher, said it took about 20 minutes to go through the process of getting her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“It was not only important to protect myself and my family but just the community I work with," Esquijarosa said. “I felt like I didn’t want to be a liability to anyone else. Our families are getting vaccinated, the students are getting vaccinated, so we feel safe to come to work.”

Both in-person and virtual students who are eligible were able to get the vaccine. Parents and guardians had to fill out a consent form for their 16- or 17-year-old to receive the vaccine. 

RELATED: Marietta Schools clears up COVID concerns ahead of student and parent vaccinations

District leaders said the decision for the event was made as soon as Gov. Brian Kemp opened up the state's eligibility. 

Marietta City Schools said they wanted to host an event where it's convenient for families to get their vaccines together. 

"It's about their safety and their wellness," Jen Brock, executive director of communications for Marietta City Schools, said. "It also helps ensure come August, our schools look as normal as possible. We have a community of staff and educators and administrators who believe in the science and want to do what we can to protect our community.”

Students, parents and guardians are scheduled to get their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine Friday, May 7 at Poole's Pharmacy in Marietta. 

“We want to get schools back to normal," Thomas Sherrer, owner of Poole's Pharmacy, said. “It’s the people in our community, the people who support us as a small business. It’s people we’ve grown up with, the ones we’ve known forever, so having the opportunity to take care of our community is extremely rewarding.”

So far, the district has administered nearly 1,400 first doses to faculty, staff and family members. 

According to Marietta City Schools, there are nearly 2,600 students at Marietta High School, 65% of those students chose to stay virtual this year.

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