PI-ISD staff receive COVID vaccinations

PI-ISD Health Science teacher Alejandra Cerda prepares to vaccinate PI-ISD kindergarten teacher Sandra Holland on Mar. 5. Photo by Gaige Davila.

By Gaige Davila
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com 

Point Isabel ISD employees have been vaccinated for COVID-19, two days after the Texas Department of State Health Services announced teachers, child care and Head Start program staff were eligible for vaccines. 

All PI-ISD staff who wanted the COVID-19 vaccine were vaccinated during a clinic at Port Isabel High School on Mar. 4, where 300 COVID-19 vaccines were administered for Laguna Madre residents. Cameron County Public Health Department provided another 100 vaccines solely for PI-ISD staff. 

Not all PI-ISD staff were able to receive the vaccine. Some staff members had COVID-19 and can not be vaccinated within 90 days of contracting the virus. 

“Our employees were so excited,” PI-ISD Theresa Capistran told the PRESS. “They’re just so relieved. That’s the word they keep saying.” 

She continued, “it’s great to be able to do this in our school district.”

Barbara Villarreal, a special education paraprofessional at PI-ISD, echoed Capistran’s statement just after receiving her COVID-19 vaccine. 

Cecilia Peña, a 7th grade writing teacher at Port Isabel Junior High, receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from PI-ISD Health Science teacher Alejandra Cerda. Photo by Gaige Davila.

“I’m very grateful that I was able to do it here, especially on campus,” she said. 

PI-ISD designated two vaccinators for their staff, with four other vaccinators for the 300 Laguna Madre residents registered for vaccinations. 

Cecilia Peña, who teachers 7th grade writing at Port Isabel Junior High, said she was initially worried that she would not receive a vaccine.

“I’m not 65-and-over yet, but as an educator, yes, I was worried,” Pena said. “Even though we’re limited to (only) some of the students at the school, we still need to be protected.” 

Sandra Holland, who teaches kindergarten at PI-ISD, was not worried about vaccine access, but how her body would react to the vaccine.

“I was more worried about any side effects, because it went out so quickly,” Holland said, referring to the pharmaceutical companies’ development of the COVID-19 vaccine. “I wasn’t worried about availability, I was worried about viability.”

Holland continued, “enough people have gotten (the vaccine) to know the side effects are far and few between.” 

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