Salem Vaccination Clinic Set As District Weighs Mask Order

SALEM, MA —Salem Public Schools and Cataldo Ambulance will hold their next coronavirus vaccination clinic on Tuesday ahead of a School Committee meeting later that night to discuss whether to make district schools mask-optional when the statewide mandate expires in March.

Superintendent Steve Zrike said last week that city student vaccination rates — especially at the high school level — that remain below state averages could be one factor in the School Committee's decision whether to move ahead with the mask-optional model — as Beverly and Peabody did last week.

"We're going to look at vaccination rates, which are lower than other communities," Zrike said. "We are also going to look at testing, which is higher than other communities. We have 70 percent of our students enrolled in weekly(at-home rapid and school pool) testing."

The next clinic at the Bentley Academy Innovation School on Memorial Drive from 1 to 5 p.m. will have pediatric vaccine doses for children 5 through 11, as well as adult doses and boosters.

This is not a walk-in site and appointments must be made in advance here.

Parents must fill out the consent form to have their children receive the vaccination during schools hours. It is up to parents and guardians whether they want to be with their students as their receive the shot.

The clinic will be in the Bentley School library with parking available in the lot on the Memorial Drive side of the building.

Any parents attending are reminded that school is dismissed at 3 p.m. and that they should not arrive any earlier than 10 minutes before an appointment.

Those receiving a second or booster dose should bring their prior vaccination card.

Anyone needing assistance with registration can call 978-740-1193. Ext. 60556.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)