Governor says APS doing a ‘disservice’ to employees waiting to hold vaccination event

ATLANTA — Local school systems pressed the governor to expand vaccines to teachers and staff, but now the governor wants to know why they’re not acting faster to protect them.

Atlanta Public Schools has announced a mass-vaccine clinic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but not until March 24.

Gov. Brian Kemp told Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston that he wants to know what’s taking so long.

“They are going to wait two to three weeks. I believe they are doing a disservice to their teachers,” Kemp said.

The district said it has secured 8,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for its employees, but the governor is criticizing the plan. He believes the APS should vaccinate its staff now.

“They should be getting the vaccines done today or do like many schools are and doing that Thursday or Friday, to fully get over the first shot and get ready to get back into the classroom,” Kemp said.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Sheriff reopens investigation into death of Kendrick Johnson, found dead inside gym mat
• 18-year-old Georgia Capitol attack suspect assaulted while in custody, court filings show
• Home Depot looking to fill more than 3,000 jobs here in metro Atlanta

Kemp went on the attack after he got a resolution on Feb. 1 from the APS Board of Education demanding that teachers and staff be moved up in the current phase to get the shot.

Now that he’s done that, he’s mad Atlanta staff have to wait until the 24th.

“If they were worried of truly getting their teachers vaccinated, they would’ve been working with their public health department, because we gave them a 10-day heads up,” Kemp said.

APS superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring wasn’t available for an interview but sent Huddleston a statement that said, in part:

“We have been working with the Fulton County Board of Health since December to vaccinate all educators and, as Governor Kemp should know, are scheduled to provide vaccine on the first day the allocations are available in Fulton County.”

Herring said the 24th is when Fulton County will have the school district’s 8,000 doses available. A second round of shots will begin April 14.

Fulton Count Schools said it will be holding a mass vaccination event for its teachers starting March 22.

Cobb County will hold theirs starting on March 19.

DeKalb superintendent visiting schools as students return to classrooms

Cox Media Group