School and child care workers in Texas now eligible for vaccination

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Wednesday that school and child care personnel are now eligible to be vaccinated against coronavirus.

According to DSHS, they received a letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services directing it to expand eligibility to include people who work in school and child care operations.

The federal directive defined the people eligible as “those who work in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools, as well as Head Start and Early Head Start programs (including teachers, staff, and bus drivers) and those who work as or for licensed child care providers, including center-based and family care providers.”

The federal directive and state eligibility announcement followed President Joe Biden saying Tuesday that his administration planned to direct states to vaccinate teachers.

Educators and advocates had been begging the state of Texas to include teachers as it rolled out its vaccination program this winter and spring.

In response to Biden’s proclamation, CVS Pharmacy made appointments available to educators, school staff and child care workers in Texas and other states where it offers vaccines.

CVS is part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, a collaboration between the federal government, states and pharmacies across the country.

(The Texas Tribune contributed to this report.)