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Nearly a thousand teachers and staff from Des Moines Public Schools receive first dose of vaccine

DMPS held a clinic at Central Campus on Saturday to vaccinate those eligible under the state's phase 1B tier system.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Despite some dreary conditions Saturday, hundreds of teachers and staff of Des Moines Public Schools turned out to Central Campus for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"I'm trying not to cry...it's emotional," said 8th grade teacher Jessica Nunes after receiving her first dose.

This is the first large clinic the district has offered since their staff became eligible for the vaccine on Monday under the states Phase 1B plan.

"The planning has just been touch and go," said Diane Gladson, Health Services Supervisor for DMPS.

Just a few days before the clinic was scheduled to take place, the number of vaccines allotted to the district changed.

"We were initially going to have 500 to 600 vaccines, and now we're going to have over a thousand today," said Gladson.

According to district officials, that means that about than 20% of the district's staff have the first dose.  That doesn't' include some of the district's health care workers who were eligible and received the vaccine earlier in the process.

Cameron Wolterman, a food service worker for the district, was reluctant to get the vaccine at first, but, eventually, decided it was the right choice.

"It's mostly so I can be comfortable being around the kiddos at school and my family, because i don't want to get my family sick, and i don't want to get sick," said Wolterman.

According to a poll conducted by the district, they found that about 3,400 of its 5,000 employees said they were interested in getting the vaccine. Gladson says the vaccine is as much about protecting teachers and staff as it is students and their families.

"Right now, students don't have the luxury of a vaccination.. That's not been approved by the FDA," said Gladson.

Wolterman, meanwhile, expressed some relief after having gotten the shot.

"It didn't hurt as bad as i thought. I just looked away, and it was actually way easier than i thought. I feel like I can maybe go out more to see my family," he said.

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