AVON, Ind. — Teachers of all ages are lining up at the Avon Meijer store for COVID-19 vaccinations they can't get at state or county-operated clinics.
Shots in the arm are just what teachers needed after a year of working through uncertainty and fear.
Lisa Gillihan is multi-media specialist at a Brownsburg school.
"It feels really good knowing I've taken the first step to protect students from myself and to protect family members from myself," Gillihan said.
Teachers' demands to be moved up the priority ladder and made eligible for vaccinations were turned down by the state.
President Joe Biden intervened. He ordered pharmacies operating under a federal program to start vaccinating educators and other school workers right away.
When shots became available, Avon teacher Audra McAllister didn't hesitate.
"As soon as it was available and it was good for teachers to come and get it, I was going to do that," McAllister said.
The Avon Meijer store pharmacy is targeting Hendricks County educators and other school employees.
Sign up for vaccinations began on Friday morning. In a few days, there were enough school workers enrolled to justify a four-day clinic.
It comes exactly one year after Avon schools were the first in the state to shut down because of COVID-19 and forced into virtual learning.
They've reopened but have struggled to prevent outbreaks. They've endured quarantines and constantly changing health and safety restrictions.
Seeing teachers vaccinated, Avon School Superintendent Dr. Scott Wyndham said, is a huge relief.
"It is one piece of a project that has been all consuming this year as we tried to navigate school," Wyndham said.
Although it will be weeks before the vaccine is fully effective, the vaccinations are a shot of confidence and hope.
Tanika Kinartail is a Brownsburg school assistant principal.
"It is nice to now feel like we have an extra layer of protection against the virus," Kinartail said.
And moving one step closer to getting schools closer to normal.