ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — School may be out for summer, but health officials say the clock is ticking to check off the most essential item on the back to school list — a COVID-19 vaccination.

According to the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, the current vaccination rate for teenagers 12 to 17 years old is 29%, far below the 50% they're hoping to reach before the start of the school year.

“When you get to 50%, it’s a little bit more difficult for any infection to move into a population," said Dr. Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County. "It can slow it down."

Rich Schellhase’s 15-year-old daughter is days away from being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The parent and high school teacher said, based on the enthusiasm he’s seen among his children and his students, he is surprised the vaccination rate for adolescents 12-17 isn’t higher.

“It’s very liberating for her," Schellhase said. "She’s very relieved. We are going to be able to go up to see her grandparents next week because she’ll be two weeks out from her second shot. But she’s also excited to have all her friends back in school. Hopefully, throughout the summer, more and more get it, and then we don’t really have to worry about the masks as much if everyone’s vaccinated.”

Speaking of masks, Orange County Public Schools is looking at doing what several local school districts — like Volusia, Osceola, Lake, and Brevard — have already done: making masks at school optional.

It’s a move a number of parents across Central Florida have questioned, especially as the youngest OCPS students, ages 5-12, can’t get the vaccine yet.

A hearing on the issue will be held Thursday starting at 1 p.m. and can be watched on the YouTube channel for Orange County schools. If the school board decides to approve the policy to make masks optional as it is now, that proposal will move forward for public input and a final vote by board members July 13.

“I’m sure there will be input in regards to that group," OCPS Chief Communication Officer Scott Howat said. "That will be up to the board to make that decision. They’ll certainly deliberate and come to some kind of consensus.”

In the meantime, Howat said he hopes everyone takes advantage of the school district’s 21 vaccination events throughout the summer.

Schellhase said he knows, at the end of the day, it boils down to parental consent

“I hope that parents go out and look at all the facts and do decide to get their children vaccinated, so we can get back to normal and let children be children again," Schellhase said.