Vaccinations Around the Tri-School

By Mabel K. ‘24

For over a year, millions have awaited one thing: the COVID-19 vaccine. While regulations such as social distancing, wearing masks, and the use of hand sanitizer have been set to prevent the virus from spreading, the ultimate goal was to get a vaccine. Released vaccines are open to people twelve and older, while research is being conducted for the effects of the vaccine for children eleven and under. This means that all high school members of the Tri-School are eligible for the vaccine. Bryn Mawr, Roland Park Country School, and Gilman have coordinated with Safeway pharmacy to create a COVID-19 vaccination clinic open to employees, students, and family members, if sixteen and older. The administration offers the Pfizer shot, which is a two-step vaccine with approximately a three-week gap between the first and second doses. The first shot administered at the vaccination clinic occurred in Gilman’s gymnasium on May 5, 2021, and there has been significant turnout from the Tri-School population since. 

This huge step towards normalcy leads to the question: what happens next? The Bryn Mawr community will still be wearing masks and social distancing for the time being as lower, middle, and part of upper school have yet to be vaccinated. However, the vaccines give students hope that this isolating period will come to an end. These times have presented major challenges for Tri-School students, but with these recent vaccinations, the thought of events such as dances, ring day, and graduation seems to be within reach. Bryn Mawr has already made considerable progress returning to more in-person events in a COVID-safe way. At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, Bryn Mawr started with small A and B groupings of students coming in on specific days. Now, the majority of students are in person, there are no groupings, and students can come to campus for the entire week. Bryn Mawr is also increasing in person events such as finals, sophomore ring day, and spring sports competitions against other schools. While this year has tested people’s strength in the face of adversity, the ongoing vaccinations throughout the country and specifically within the Tri-School community have provided people with optimism for the future.