EMPORIA, Va. — Michael Roach, son of Michael and Sheila Roach of Emporia, Va., was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms.

He received one of 15 scholarships given this year to children of Perdue employees and independent contract farmers. Winners were selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community involvement. The $75,000 scholarship program is part of the company’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors® initiative focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities.        

Roach will attend Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., to pursue a degree in forestry. Ranked 13th in his class, he graduated from Southampton High School in Courtland, Va., with a weighted GPA of 4.31. 

Roach was an eight-year member of Boy Scouts, earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout.

“One of the best decisions of my life was to continue with the Boy Scouts,” said Roach. “I have made so many friends along the way and have learned many things that will help me throughout life. For three years, I was the leader of my troop and the leadership skills I acquired will stay with me throughout my life. My dad was my Scout leader, and I would like to follow in his footsteps and be a Scout leader in the future.”

Roach wishes to pursue a career in forestry.

“Where I live there are plenty of timber companies around,” said Roach. “I would like to stay close to home and I can see myself working at one of these places so that I can stay around the community that I love. I am ready for my adventure to begin with college and becoming more educated in the forestry field.”

(RICHMOND, Va.) — All Virginians from the age of six months and older are eligible now to get a free COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), following the unanimous recommendations on June 18 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna pediatric vaccines for the youngest of children.

The CDC’s independent panel of experts, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 5 years. The CDC director gave her final approval to the recommendation later that afternoon.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is a three-dose series with the first two doses administered 3 weeks apart and a third dose at least two months after the second dose. The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose series administered 4 weeks apart.

VDH would like to stress to parents that providers can choose which vaccine to offer to their patients. Some providers may choose to offer both vaccines, while others may decide only to offer one. Parents should follow up with their pediatrician or other healthcare provider for specific information about the vaccines they’ll be offering.

Because VDH has been planning for the expansion of vaccine eligibility and availability for several months, families will have many options for where to get their children a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination sites may include:

• Pediatric offices
• Family practice offices
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
• Retail pharmacies for children ages 3 years and older
• Local Health Departments

The following is a statement from Virginia’s State Vaccination Coordinator and Director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Immunization Christy Gray, MPH:

“With the CDC’s endorsement of the recommendation of its independent panel of advisers that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be safely administered to children 4 years of age and younger down to 6 months of age and the Moderna vaccine to children 5 years of age down to 6 months, one of the final fronts in the battle against COVID-19 has opened up.

“We at VDH are pleased to begin offering this vaccine to parents who want to protect their youngest children from severe illness and hospitalization due to this virus. There are a variety of venues open to Virginia parents to vaccinate their children, including community vaccination events set up by local health departments, pharmacies and, of course, pediatrician’s offices. We urge parents to consult with their child’s healthcare provider about vaccination.

“VDH is excited that parents have this opportunity and are empowered to protect their youngest children against this virus.”