Charleston teachers get COVID-19 vaccine: ‘My students clapped and cheered’

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Approximately 800 Charleston County School District teachers and staff were vaccinated in North Charleston Tuesday.

The district partnered with the Medical University of South Carolina to host a mass vaccination clinic at the former Garrett campus.

Cathy Damico, a fourth grade teacher at St. James-Santee Elementary School, was the first teacher of the day to be vaccinated. She said she got the shot for her students.

“I’m with my students every day and it’s important to keep them healthy,” Damico said. “When I told my students that I was getting the vaccine they all clapped and cheered. And that says something. They know it’s important.”

The district’s Director of Nursing Services Ellen Nitz said this has been a great partnership with MUSC to get teachers vaccinated and back in the classroom.

“It’s like that suit of armor that will actually put them back into their classrooms,” she said. “So they are protected and they can do the job they need to be doing, educating our children.”

The goal is to vaccinate around 2,000 teachers per week for the next three weeks and then do it again for the second dose of the vaccine.

Your students may have eLearning days while teachers go to their vaccine appointment. Click here to see the latest released schedules.

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