POLK COUNTY, Fla. — More than 1,000 Polk County school employees received COVID-19 vaccinations Saturday, and hundreds more will get them Sunday at Lake Region High School.

What You Need To Know

  • Some Polk County school employees can get COVID vaccinations this weekend

  • The event is being held at Lake Region High School

  • Only employees 50 and older are eligible for these vaccinations

  • They can choose between the Moderna and J&J vaccines, as supplies permit

The vaccinations, the first vaccine clinics that Polk County Public Schools are holding, are for employees ages 50 and up.

For bus drivers like Cindy Williams, getting the vaccine is a huge relief.

“I drive a bus with 40 kids on it,” Williams said as she lined up Saturday morning. “This is peace of mind. I know I can go to work and not get sick. You have in the back of your head every day, ‘Am I going to get sick?’ ”

Williams was one 1,300 teachers and staff who came out to get a shot on Saturday. At least 800 are signed up Sunday.

“For us, it’s really important and a step in the right direction for schools to reopen fully,” said Teddra Porteous, associate superintendent of human resources.

Polk school employees will have a choice between the Moderna vaccine or Johnson & Johnson’s, which just requires one shot, as long as supply is available for both.

The school district plans to hold more clinics when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis allows teachers and staff under 50 to be vaccinated, Porteous said.

Federal Emergency Management Association sites currently allow teachers ages 18 and up.

This same event in Polk will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday. Appointments are required.