NEW LONDON, Connecticut (AP) – Eleven staff at a private school in New London received COVID-19 vaccines after being mistakenly identified as eligible for injections aimed only at healthcare professionals and in nursing homes.
Mark Fader, head of the Williams School, told The Day of New London that he was notified at the end of last month by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that his school had been classified by the state as part of a “group of critical infrastructure “, eligible to be part of the first group of residents in the state to receive the vaccine.
Fader said the school followed the protocols and provided a list of Williams employees for the Vaccine Administration Management System, allowing the school’s 53 employees to get vaccinated.
The local health district contacted the school on December 29 to tell authorities that the initial notification had been in error.
Fader said the school immediately warned employees of the error and advised them to cancel all vaccination appointments. He said 11 employees have already been vaccinated. These officials will be allowed to receive the second dose of the two-dose vaccination regimen, he said.
It was not immediately clear if any other organizations were added by mistake by the state to those in a group that should be limited to health professionals and those who work or live in long-term institutions.
A message asking for comments was left Tuesday with the governor’s office.
Williams is a private prep school from 6th to 12th grade, located on the Connecticut College campus.