Harris County Provides ‘Remaining’ Vaccine Doses to School District Employees

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Harris County teachers and school staff on the COVID-19 vaccine waiting list are now being called by Harris County Public Health if there are “remaining” doses at the end of the day.

The program was developed by Harris County Public Health as a way to make sure no vaccine doses are wasted while vaccinating most front-line employees.

“The idea we started last week is to allocate our ‘no-show’ appointments to school staff on our Level 1A and Level 1B waiting lists,” said Dr. Maria Rivera of Harris County Public Health.

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Rivera pointed out that Harris County mass vaccination sites move locations every week and are generally held in high school stadiums or other school facilities with large parking lots. When people fill out the Harris County Health Department waiting list, they already ask if you are employed in a school district and which one. So, it is easy for the county computer system to draw up a list of eligible employees in the school district in the area where the megasites are located.

“They need to be level 1A or 1B and they need to be able to go to our sites quickly,” Rivera said. She adds that another advantage is that educators usually live nearby and can quickly enroll on their computers when they are notified of additional doses that could expire.

Harris County says it works with all 21 school districts in the county, as well as charter schools and private schools in each area. As mega-vaccine locations change from week to week, the county changes the districts it contacts each week, focusing on the districts where the county uses school property and where employees can live nearby.

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If you are an educator and want to make sure you are included in the “no presentation” vaccine dose call list, make sure you are on the Harris County vaccine waiting list. Specify for which school district you work from the drop-down menu. Remember, however, the process will be weighted and randomized, so only employees who qualify according to state instructions will be contacted.

“This is a way to make sure it’s not wasted and it’s always aimed at eligible people,” Rivera said.

The video above comes from a previous report.

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