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VEBA Resource Center Helps Educators Fight COVID-19 by Getting the Vaccine

Some links on this page may no longer be available now that the VEBA Vaccinates program is closed.

In less than three weeks, the VEBA Vaccinates program provided thousands of vaccinations for San Diego County educators. California Schools VEBA rolled out its program the moment San Diego County announced on February 27 the opening of Phase 1B-Tier 1, which included education workers. VEBA’s partnership with Sharp HealthCare and UC San Diego Health provides the protection and peace of mind that educators need.

“Today, I got my shot for my kids at my school, my family, and most of all for myself, just to know that I will not be infected or infecting others. So it’s a big thing.”

Natasha Benally is an on-site teacher at Cabrillo Elementary in Point Loma. Since November, she’s been teaching a small group of students in the classroom – and many more online. It’s been tough managing her classroom as well as her three school-aged kids without the protection of a vaccine.

“I was afraid that I was going to get COVID or spread COVID if I got it. So it’s been very, very tough. But today, finally coming in, getting vaccinated, I feel a little better, more at ease. So, I am just so relieved.”

The VEBA Vaccinates program provided Ms. Benally with the latest information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. And Ms. Benally’s students trusted her to get the vaccine.

“You know, my kids asked me every day at school, ‘Are you going to get vaccinated? Have you gotten vaccinated?’ They actually asked me that question. And I’m like, ‘No, I haven’t.’ And today when I told them I was (getting vaccinated), they were all excited. They’re like, “Are all of our other teachers going to get vaccinated?’ I’m like, ‘They should.’”

Ms. Benally encourages her fellow educators to follow her lead and sign up for a vaccination through the VEBA Portal. It’s easy to do and VEBA provides a step-by-step instructional video to guide members through the registration process.

“Thank you Sharp and VEBA for arranging everything here, getting the COVID shot and getting teachers back into the classroom and the kids happy once again. Seeing the kids that we do have inside, they were so ecstatic, so excited to be back. To see other kids actually play on the play structure as a group was like the world to them. They loved it.”

  • If you are a TK-12 education employee in San Diego County, sign up for the vaccine by visiting the VEBA Portal.
  • Have questions about the VEBA Vaccinates program? Visit our “Frequently Asked Questions” page.
  • Meet VEBA Vice President Laura Josh and learn more about VEBA’s commitment to “whole-person” health and health care equity for the San Diego community.
  • For more testimonials and information about the VEBA Vaccinates program and COVID-19 vaccine, visit our YouTube channel.

School Officer Gets Vaccine; Aiming to Improve Mental Health and Wellness of Returning Students

Some links on this page may no longer be available now that the VEBA Vaccinates program is closed.

If anyone at Morse High School is feeling down and needs a friend – as many of us are and do during this COVID experience – Officer Dave Pallesen is the pal to call. 

Officer Pallesen is one of many sworn peace officers committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for San Diego students. Because of the virus, the officers have been limited to insuring campus security and a few home visits, hoping to ease any pain or mental health challenges that may come with virtual learning.  

“A lot of the kids, unfortunately, this has been hard on them just like everyone else; the isolation, not being around friends… We’re human beings by nature, we’re social creatures, we need that interaction. And we need that face-to-face human interaction.”

Soon, that face-to-face interaction will be possible, thanks to the VEBA Vaccinates program. 

“(Getting the vaccine) was all very smooth, very quick, very efficient. I have nothing but positive reviews and was very pleased with the whole process. As far as the information I received signing up, everything was really seamless.”

Officer Pallesen did his research and feels confident that the vaccine is safe and will help him protect his family. 

“I got the shot for my wife and kids, to protect my parents who are older, and for the kids at the schools and the people in my life that I care and love.”

That love is something Officer Pallesen is looking forward to sharing when he reunites with the students and educators he serves. 

“I’ll get to interact more with the kids and do what I love, which is having those interactions and building those relationships and helping those kids out, helping them be successful… and I’ll be smiling. I’ll probably be wearing a mask, but I’ll be smiling.”

Click here to learn more about our VEBA Vaccinates program.

For more ideas about protecting your mental health, read these VEBA Resource Center blogs: 

You’ve Been Vaccinated for COVID-19. Now What?

Some links on this page may no longer be available now that the VEBA Vaccinates program is closed.

So, you have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Excellent! Thank you for protecting your health and the health of our community.

Now what?

If you have been fully vaccinated (2 doses):

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautions that it takes two weeks after your second dose for your body to build full protection to the virus.

After that:

  • You can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing masks or physically distancing.
  • You can also gather with people who are at low-risk for the disease, such as children, without masks or physical distancing.
  • If you are exposed to someone with COVID-19 but you do not show any symptoms, you do not have to quarantine or get tested.

Here are some things that haven’t changed:

  • When you are in public places, continue to wear your masks and practice physical distancing.
  • Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings.
  • Keep practicing good hand hygiene.

If you have not received your second dose:

  1. Make sure you have scheduled your second shot. You will develop some immunity after your first shot but it is not complete without the second.
  2. Keep practicing safe habits.

Here are some guidelines for staying safe:

  1. Wear your mask! Even if you’ve received both shots of the vaccine, you can still be a carrier and “shed” the virus on others, even if you have no symptoms.
  2. Avoid crowds. To protect the health of others, keep wearing your mask and remain six feet apart, for now.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings. Are the people around you being careful, too? Do you feel safe?
  4. Keep practicing good hand hygiene. Wash your hands with hot water and soap. Use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash.
  5. Encourage others to get vaccinated! If you’re a Tk-12 school employee in San Diego County, visit www.vebavaccinates.com today!

Check out some of our COVID-related videos here:

For our full playlist of COVID-19 informational videos, visit our YouTube channel.

Take Stock of 2020 To Get Set for 2021

Another year, one unlike any other, is coming to an end. Nobody could have predicted the type of year COVID-19 created, nor could anyone have prepped for it. However, it’s always a great practice to reflect on your accomplishments of the year, no matter how big or small, and then set your eyes on the coming year by setting goals. Before you say good riddance to 2020, sit down and take stock of all you were able to do, and then get set for 2021:

Write down your accomplishments. Think back to the beginning of the year and go through every month. Tap into your work or personal calendar if you need to and write down everything you achieved — big and small. Anything goes! Maybe you learned a new skill due to the remote working environment. Or, maybe you reconnected with an old friend. Did you have a breakout year at work? Help a student through a difficult time? If it made you proud, happy or feel accomplished, consider it a star on your chart and write it down!

Reflect on your wins. After you have written down all of your wins for the year, reflect on the mindset you had during that time. Were you motivated by something or someone? Did you change your routine or create a new habit? Or maybe you learned a new skill that contributed to your success. Jot these notes down next to your accomplishments to remind yourself how you accomplished those particular wins.

Tweak, tinker and try. If your list of accomplishments feels short, please don’t feel disappointed.  Just getting through this year was huge! However, if you are looking to make an improvement for next year, consider what you could have done differently, write it down and then think about how you can apply that change in 2021. It could be as simple as getting up 30 minutes earlier to go for a walk. Or maybe it’s turning off electronics by 6 pm so you can spend more time with your family. There’s always room for improvement — now is the time to make a change.

Set goals for 2021. Now that you’ve seen what you accomplished in 2020, reflected on your mindset and motivation and have identified ways in which you could do things differently to achieve more, think about what you want to do in 2021. Use this year’s accomplishments as building blocks or stepping stones to create your next set of wins. Consider all areas of your life — personal, professional, family, spiritual. You can start small and build upon them as the year goes on. If you write down your goals in vivid detail, you are 1.2-1.4 times more likely to reach them. So, set yourself up for success in 2021 starting now!

Whether you have a short list or a long list, one win we can all add is surviving 2020. Take some time to reflect on this year’s journey and then reset for 2021. Need a little help setting your 2021 goals? Watch “CORE Habits” and see how you can improve upon your daily living to achieve your goals.