The district will hold a free COVID-19 Pfizer vaccination clinic on May 13 for interested Baldwin students who are at least 16 years old.

Students will need to fill out a form, which will be shared soon, to sign up. Parental consent will be required for students under 18.

The clinic will be held in the small gym, with the plan being to run it first through third periods.

Rachel Sprouse, the district director of employee services, put the clinic together,  working with Allegheny Health Network. An AHN representative mentioned the idea of high schools holding clinics for their students, and Sprouse said Baldwin would like to host one.

Baldwin was the first school to express interest, Sprouse said.

Last week, through an online form, the district surveyed students to see if there was sufficient interest, and there was.

Sprouse said that any student who wants a vaccine will have to complete the upcoming sign-up form to ensure that there are enough vaccines and also for vaccine scheduling purposes.

“We need to know when they will leave their classrooms and where they are,” she said.

The second dose of the vaccine is expected to be administered June 3, also at school. 

Sprouse said she is excited for the clinic and what it can do for the school.

“It’s a great opportunity. … We can help create a healthy environment for all the kids,” Sprouse said.

Some students, like junior Anna Horvath, said they were planning to participate in the vaccine clinic.

“I want to be safer and lessen my chances of getting COVID or experiencing any of the symptoms,” Horvath said. 

However, junior Luke Kjelshus said he feels that receiving the vaccine is not a pressing issue for high school students. 

“I feel that not enough research has been done about the side effects of the vaccine, and because we are young there is not as much of a need for kids our age to get vaccinated,” Kjelshus said. 

Other students said they appreciate the fact that the school is having a clinic, even if they are already vaccinated.

Junior Ava-Jo Russin, who has had her first round of the vaccine, said she is happy the school is providing the opportunity to students.

“I think it is good our school is doing a clinic because I know it’s difficult for some people to get appointments,” Russin said.

Sophomore Alana Beermann agreed.

“It is nice that the students at our school will be able to get an opportunity to get the vaccine if they have no other way to get it,” Beermann said.