Secretary of Agriculture visits vaccination clinic at Huron High School—where about 300 shots were administered to 12-15-year-olds

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack congratulates two Slauson Middle School students for getting shots to help keep themselves & others safe

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor

When Slauson Middle School students Jesper Roxstrom and Nyla White decided to be vaccinated at the Huron High School Vaccination Clinic Thursday, they didn’t expect that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack would be there to congratulate them.

“We got a call last night and are totally cool with it,” said Jesper’s mother, Dr.  Vanessa Dalton. ”Jesper said he’d wear a clean shirt.”

Vilsack was in Michigan as part of a tour by President Joe Biden’s cabinet to check in with the COVID vaccination programs across the U.S.

The clinic was AAPS’ third COVID vaccination clinic at Huron High aimed at vaccinating 12-15-year olds.

Following a meet-and-greet, Visack met with Jesper and Nyla and their parents and proceeded with them to meet AAPS nurse Keely Hoffman, who administered their COVID vaccinations.

Jesper’s mother is a physician who is confident in the vaccine, so there was no hesitation about getting the vaccine.

“I want to protect my children and others,” she said. “I want to have the freedom to see my family and we want to decrease the continued development of variants of the virus that will result if most of us do not get vaccinated.”

As of this week, 170 million Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. USDA staff have helped to vaccinate more than 2 million individuals.

To find details about a vaccination clinic near you, go to Washtenaw.org/covid19vaccine