School Staff Members Still Needing Vaccinated Can Receive COVID-19 Vaccines through Federal Retail Pharmacy Program

When safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines first became available, Ohio embarked on a phased plan to distribute them statewide, including a plan to prioritize adults who work in Ohio’s schools during Phase 1B. While participation in the vaccination program among school employees was high, there were some employees who, for various reasons, did not receive a vaccination at that time. For those school employees, Ohio will be partnering with the federal government on a new nationwide eligibility providing further opportunity to receive the vaccine.

Please help spread the word among educators and school staff letting them know about the importance of getting vaccinated and this new opportunity to do so.

Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, teachers and staff in preK-12 schools and childcare programs will be able to sign up for an appointment at more than 400 pharmacies in Ohio.

School staff members who did not receive the vaccine initially for any reason and now wish to do so can find more information about how to get vaccinated using the following resources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 Vaccines for Teachers, School Staff, and Childcare Workers website
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccines & Immunizations website

• Teachers, School Staff, and Childcare Workers: How to Get Vaccinated fact sheet 
• Federal Retail Pharmacy Program – Teachers, School Staff and Childcare Workers: Frequently Asked Questions for Jurisdictions 

Additionally, the Ohio Department of Health has compiled a list of pharmacies in Ohio that are participating in the program.

Thank you for everything you do each day for Ohio’s students, including your commitment to ensuring all Ohio children have the opportunity to learn in a classroom setting.