COVID Vaccinations for Children: 5-11 years of age

Dear Parents,

We are excited to share that some five through eleven-year-old Villa students have received their first dose of the now approved Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this week. We know that many parents of lower school children are working hard to schedule their child’s first vaccine appointment. To support Villa families in vaccinating their children, here are some important vaccine updates:

• We strongly encourage all eligible Villa students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination is the strongest layer of protection against serious illness. Vaccination also helps to protect our wider Villa community.
   
• At this time, we do not require vaccination for students. Our vaccination requirement for all Villa employees, volunteers, and campus visitors remains in place.
   
• Villa has not yet been able to schedule a school-based vaccination clinic for our students due to the high demand of other schools, as well as available staffing. We are on a waiting list to potentially host a vaccination clinic in the future.
   
• Families are encouraged to contact their child’s healthcare provider to inquire about vaccination appointments. Some Villa parents have registered on waiting lists at Children’s Hospital or University of Washington Medical Center. Your healthcare provider can provide additional options for vaccine waitlists.
   
• The state requires Villa to obtain copies of vaccination information for its students. When your child is fully vaccinated, please send a copy of their vaccination card to Villa’s main office, villa-office@thevilla.org. We will routinely ask parents to update us on this information. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to sending in your child’s vaccination card.
   
• Please note that vaccinated individuals—of any age—do not need to quarantine if they are a close contact with someone who has a positive case of COVID. In classrooms where some students are vaccinated and some are not, vaccinated close contacts of a positive COVID case can remain in school unless they have symptoms.
   
• Villa will continue to follow our school travel policy for unvaccinated students throughout the school year. Our policy is based on the state and CDC travel guidance for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Villa’s travel policy allows unvaccinated students who use private transportation to return to school without a quarantine. Unvaccinated students who travel on public transportation (air, train, etc.) will quarantine after returning to the state. Please see THIS infographic for detailed information.
   
• Families of unvaccinated 4th through 8th-grade students who participate in CYO basketball will have additional DOH safety requirements during the CYO season: DOH rules for basketball require all unvaccinated basketball players to submit proof of negative COVID tests twice each week during their basketball season. CYO basketball begins in January 2022.

Families with questions about COVID vaccination or other safety protocols should reach out to their child’s division director for more information. 
 
With appreciation,

Julie Thenell Grasseschi, Interim Head of School