Time to vaccinate students for back-to-school. Will new COVID shot offer sufficient protection?

SHORLIINE, Wash. — Only a fraction of classrooms in western Washington have kids in them, but more students will be packed in together again in the coming weeks. So, what does this mean for the spread of COVID-19?

Numbers from across the country, where students returned to class weeks ago, show there's still a huge risk of kids getting sick, infecting others and then missing critical education time.

“If you don’t stay healthy, then you’ll be all sick. You don’t, you don’t want to infect your friends,” student David Erazo said after getting his routine vaccinations at the International Community Services Clinic (ICSH) in Shoreline.

The clinic partnered with the Shoreline School District (SSD) to provide dozens of vaccines to kids in need.

Norah Davidson and her brother Malcolm also braved the needle sticks in their arms.

“I was feeling this weird feeling when you’re like excited to get your shot because you get to go in the third grade,” said Norah.

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Norah’s dad, Aaron Davidson, told KOMO News his family always stays on top of their vaccinations.

“Don’t put it off. I got three vaccines for my kids, two for one and one for the other,” said Davidson, who also has a preschooler at home.

“I always have a stuffy nose ‘cause I’ve had a kid under the age of 3 for the last eight years of my life,” Davidson said. “There’s always something new that they’re going to come home and bring home.”

“We want them to be back in school, we want them to be vaccinated, we want to make sure parents are taking the appropriate precautions,” said Washington state Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah.

The COVID vaccine is not yet available, but already some worry the new COVID vaccine will be out of date when it's available in mid-September.

“COVID variants have been evolving very quickly. The data has been showing that the vaccines have been safe and effective and keeping children out of the hospital,” said Dr. Dennis Pang, the pediatrician administering vaccines during the back-to-school clinic at ICHS.

Officials at a Kentucky school had to shut it down less than two weeks into the new school year when 20% of its students tested positive for COVID, strep throat or influenza. COVID numbers are also on the rise in Los Angeles and New York City, but experts say there is no need to panic.

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“The good news is we have more tools than ever before for folks to protect themselves,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“The state of Washington, it’s done quite well,’ Cohen told KOMO News, “They’re a leader in the country and doing work to protect the public health, but I want to make sure that folks are hearing from me that the coming fall and winter means we’re going to see more viruses circulating.”

“(Seattle Public Schools) did an incredible job the last year and a half, last two years, my kids were in first and second grade. There is only one day when (schools) were closed unexpectedly due to COVID,” said Davidson.

Most school districts are still using their COVID policies from last school year, reminding families to continue practicing good hygiene and keeping students home when they’re sick.

“I mean, lots of people already got the vaccine, so I think the danger is less. So I’m not really that worried,” said Sebastian Erazo, a 13-year-old entering eighth grade at Einstein Middle School.

“While I’m worried about the chance of them getting COVID or vaccine, we’ve all had it, and we also have these vaccines. A two-pronged approach, and that way puts me at ease. There isn’t really a perfect one size fits all solution, but we end up getting in our own briefcase full of 100 million different chances to fight the vaccine. Maybe the next mutation won’t get us,” said Davidson.

“But we know that (the vaccine) helps prevent you from getting seriously ill,” said Pang.

“We can do our part by making sure we’re safe ourselves, and we’re not carrying it over to people who can’t get the vaccine, which is more people than I thought,” said Davidson.

The new COVID shot is expected to be available by mid-September.

Health experts still recommend getting the COVID and flu shots for everyone who can get those vaccines.

The Bellevue School District (BSD) is working to help its families prepare for a healthy start to the school year with two health fairsthis week.Wednesday’s health fair is at Chinook Middle School and Thursday’s will be at Odle Middle School. Click here for more information.

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The district is offering immunization clinics to students. The flu vaccine and new COVID vaccine aren't available yet, but the BSD Health Fair is offering required vaccines and other resources for parents to make sure their kids are ready for a healthy school year.

BSD nurses, athletic activities and technology departments will all be onsite during the health fair to answer questions and provide more resources. The International Community Health Services group is participating in several health fairs for families this fall as well.