Sterling Meetinghouse News

By Danielle Ray, Senior Reporter
Over 1,000 Wachusett Regional School District students 12 years and older have been vaccinated in Rutland, and many more at other clinics and pharmacies and such in the region.
“We believe that it is important to get the 12-plus age group vaccinated because it is one big step closer to completing households, meaning getting the whole family safely vaccinated and protected,” said Rutland Firefighter/Paramedic Erin Cullinane, who helps administer the vaccine at the collaborative clinic.
The Centers for Disease Control officially recommended Pfizer’s vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 on May 12, making about 400,000 kids in the state eligible for it. Chocksett Middle School Principal Chris LaBreck said he appreciates “the support we have received from the Sterling community” throughout the pandemic, and that he thinks it is “great that parents now have the option to vaccinate their children who are 12 years of age and up.”
“We have really limited the incidents of positive cases here because of their support and willingness to stick to the guidelines which has gotten us much closer to ‘normal’ much quicker than anticipated,” LaBreck said. “That said, it will be important that we continue to make good and safe choices going forward to ensure we don’t end up right back where we were last September.”
Allison Paquette’s two children, 14-year-old eighth grader Rohan and 12-year-old seventh grader Maren, were vaccinated in Rutland on May 18. The family lives in Sterling and the children attend school in Princeton.
“As middle schoolers, my children have understood the prevalence of the virus caused trips with relatives to be cancelled,” Paquette said. “They want to do their part to mitigate the threat the virus has on their grandparents’ health, and they are looking forward to vacationing with their grandparents this year. Knowing they have taken steps to protect themselves and their grandparents is empowering.”
Cullinane said the clinics are going “very well overall.”
“Everyone that we have vaccinated so far is so happy and thankful to receive their vaccines,” she said. “We have received many thoughtful thank you notes, and many kind people have been dropping off lunch, coffee, treats to the staff to say thank you.”
Approximately 50,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Rutland to eligible state residents to date
“Our plan is to end our daily vaccine clinics at the end of June, then reopen our clinics in late July, early August for any kids that turn 12 over the summer so that they can be vaccinated before school resumes,” Cullinane said. “The Rutland Vaccine Team is so happy to be a key player in vaccinating Central Massachusetts. It has been awesome to see the 12-and-over kids come into the vaccine clinic looking happy and excited to be doing their part in keeping the community healthy and safe.”