HERMISTON — Umatilla County Public Health held an immunization clinic at Hermiston High School, Wednesday, Nov. 3. The clinic, which included COVID-19 vaccinations, was during the school’s Student-Led Conferences.

Though immunization clinics had been held at the school in the past, Nov. 3 was the first time COVID-19 shots were available at one of the HHS school clinics, Principal Tom Spoo said. He added that he approved the clinic after Hermiston School District nurses approached him on the subject.

“As a principal, my focus is on doing everything I can to keep kids in school,” Spoo said. He said he had not heard much from the kids themselves about their feelings about the COVID-19 vaccinations, which has become politicized.

The shots, which have been approved for ages 5 and up, were available for kids 12 and up at the school on Nov. 3.

Spoo said he has been seeing “fewer and fewer” COVID-19 cases among his students, as of late, with maybe four or five cases in the previous two weeks.

COVID-19 has affected his students, Spoo said, though he had not heard of any COVID-19 deaths among is students. He said he had, however, known people who have gotten sick or died of the disease, and he is worried for his students. He expressed concerned both for their physical health and their development.

Being in school is better than not being in school, he said, and he expressed gratitude for having Umatilla County Public Health workers such as Alisha Lundgren.

As she was processing children for shots, Lundgren, the deputy director of the county health department, explained the vaccinations being offered Wednesday. These shots, available to kids 12 to 17, included the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots, Lundgren said. She added also she had Johnson & Johnson shots, “if they were needed.”

Lundgren said she was at the school primarily to help with school exclusion shots, not COVID-19 shots, though. Those shots include tetanus, polio and hepatitis, according to the deputy director.

Working from behind a curtain at the clinic, other nurses put shots, including the COVID-19 vaccinations, into arms. Those nurses included Kelsi Reyes of Umatilla County Public Health.

Reyes said this was a well-attended clinic, and there was a possibility of doing more clinics at the school in the future. When she and other nurses start vaccinating very young children, however, she said they most likely will deliver those in a regular clinic.

“We think with that population, as you can tell with the tears, those are easier to do in a clinic setting,” she said.

While she was talking, young children were crying from the vaccinations they received.

Fresh from getting a COVID-19 shot, 16-year-old junior Kade Thomas said it was his second Pfizer shot.

“I’m religious, and my prophet said to get it,” Thomas said. “That’s why I got it.”

Thomas, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said he was not very worried about getting the disease. If he had come down with it, he did not notice, he said. Also, he was unaware if any of his friends became sick with COVID-19.

Patricia and Celso Koetz were at the clinic. They stood in line with their 8-year-old son, Carlos Koetz, for his vaccinations. Once completed with other immunizations, they walked away and commented on whether they would have their son get a COVID-19 shots once they have an opportunity.

“Probably,” they said.