The Crater Health District will host a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Surry County High School Sept. 30.

District staff will be offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Surry County Public Schools employees and students age 12 and up. Students can attend any of Surry County’s three public schools but must turn in a parental consent form to be vaccinated.

The Pfizer vaccine received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month for ages 16 and up, and remains under an emergency use authorization for ages 12 to 15.

“The Crater Health District realizes the importance of increasing the number of individuals vaccinated in our communities and within school buildings and we share with each school division the importance of keeping students in person learning while doing so as safely as possible,” said District Epidemiologist Katrina Saphrey. “We feel like these vaccination clinics are another layer of helping schools and our communities achieve vaccination efforts.”

The health district announced in a Sept. 8 press release that it will be conducting on-site COVID-19 vaccine clinics at schools across the district this month to remove lack of transportation as a barrier to students and employees becoming vaccinated.

“We appreciate the partnership with our localities and school systems,” said Crater Health District Director Dr. Alton Hart Jr. “Vaccination continues to be the best way to protect our communities, families and loved ones.”

According to Virginia Department of Health data, just under 50% of Surry County’s population was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sept. 8. Face masks remain required for all students, employees and visitors when inside public or private K-12 schools — even those who are vaccinated — per a statewide public health order issued in August.

Those who are not employees or students of Surry County Public Schools can find additional vaccination sites at vaccinate.virginia.gov or www.vaccines.gov.