When Santa Clara County announced Wednesday that a whole new group of essential workers can soon get a COVID-19 vaccine starting at the end of the month, many of the county’s 15,000 public school teachers wasted no time booking appointments.

“I cried,” said Allison Medlin. “It feels like there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel.”

Medlin is a fourth grade teacher at Graystone Elementary School and learned the news from a colleague who also sent her a link to the county’s website to make an appointment.

She wasted no time booking her spot.

“It was pretty easy,” she said. “I clicked on it a couple times and was able to make an appointment for March 2.”

Those appointments are expected to fill up fast because starting Feb. 28, anyone working in education and childcare, emergency services, and the food and agriculture industries is eligible to get the vaccine in Santa Clara County.

And all they’ll need to bring is identification and proof of your employment in those fields. 

As for Medlin, she’s hopeful that this is the key to getting back to “normal” again.