LIMESTONE COUNTY, Alabama — Teachers in Limestone County took a field trip to be vaccinated for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The Limestone County Health Department allotted the school system with doses for 120 teachers. Forty teachers took a school bus to the health department on Wednesday for their turn to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
Teachers are in phase 1c of Alabama's vaccination plan. The Alabama Department of Public Health announced the expansion to phase 1c will begin on Monday, February 8th, but these teachers jumped on the opportunity to be vaccinated even sooner.
Second Grade Johnson Elementary School Teacher, Mitzi Looney, said, "We weren't expecting it because we've been told that teachers are being put off for a while, so it was very exciting to get that news that we're up."
Looney says she feels much more comfortable knowing that she will soon have protection from the virus.
Many of the teachers vaccinated say they are getting the shot for both their students and family members at a high risk.
"My mother is older, and I don't want to bring anything home to her," said Looney.
East Limestone High School Teacher, Corey Winters, said, "I have a daughter that is on a heart transplant waiting list, so it's really kind of crucial that we get vaccinated in our home just to keep her safe."
Teachers have had to adapt to teaching in person and virtually, sometimes at the same time.
Now, they must wipe down desks often and monitor that students are wearing their masks properly. They have to do this while making sure their students are learning the information they need.
"It's crazy. It's stressful. I felt like when we were at home, I worked much more than I would have worked at school," said Winters.
Looney says most of her students have been quarantined the past couple weeks, creating challenges for both her and the her students.
After adapting to teaching during the pandemic, these teachers say this is a step toward normalcy.
"We've been doing a lot of online stuff," said Looney. "I have a few that are still in the classroom, but I'm very ready to get it back to normal."
School nurses travelled with the teachers and monitored them for any adverse reactions before heading back to school.
Forty more teachers will be vaccinated on Thursday and another forty on Friday.
WATCH: Health experts say we could need to wear masks for another six months