COVID-19 Vaccine: Approved for Students 12+

RPS 205 families and staff,

Rockford Public Schools is working with the Winnebago County Health Department to offer COVID-19 vaccination opportunities for staff, students and their families.

The COVID-19 vaccine is widely available now for students 16 and older, and it was just approved by the FDA for students who are 12 and older, with final approval from the CDC expected on Wednesday.

The RPS 205 administration is strongly encouraging families to consider the vaccine for their students – especially if they plan to participate in athletics and other co-curricular activities. We want our students to safely return to school in September for the 2021-22 school year.

Following RPS 205 staff vaccination clinics, COVID-19 positive cases have dropped. Fully vaccinated staff also don’t need to quarantine if they are a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case and have no symptoms. The same rules would apply to fully vaccinated students: Any fully vaccinated students who are at least two weeks past their booster shot will not need to quarantine if they are a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case and have no symptoms.

How to register

Students 12 and older should register with the Winnebago County Health Department: wchd.org/covid-19. All students who are younger than 18 must have a parent/guardian sign a consent form, and the parent/guardian must be present during the vaccination.

Questions

If you have questions about whether you or your student should receive the vaccine, please contact your primary care physician or the Winnebago County Health Department.