WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Confusion is occurring for teachers on where they can get a COVID-19 vaccine.
County health departments and health care district-run sites have to follow the governor's executive order, which means only school employees older than 50 years old can get vaccinated at those locations.
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Palm Beach County’s health department director addressed the issue at Tuesday’s county commission meeting.
Angela Leclaire has already received calls from her fellow educators under 50 about getting turned away at a COVID-19 vaccine site.
"My coworker] had gone to the north Broward campus he was denied because he was under 50 even though he’s a teacher," Leclaire said.
What her coworker did not know is that only vaccine sites participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program are vaccinating teachers under 50.
"That’s difficult for the public to understand because you have to find out which ones are federal and which ones are state-run -- very confusing for people and causing a lot of not knowing where to go," Palm Beach County Health Department Director Dr. Alina Alonso said Tuesday.
Alonso said that the health department and health care district sites have to follow the governor’s executive order, which only allows K-12 employees who are 50 and older to get the vaccine.
On the CDC's Federal Retail Pharmacy Program site, there is a list of which pharmacies get their vaccines from the program.
On the site, there's also a vaccine finder link that will show you which pharmacies in the program near you have available appointments.
"Luckily at midnight, I was lucky to not only score an appointment for myself but for my colleague that I share a wall with as well. So, we're really excited. We go on Friday," Leclaire said.
Leclaire is thrilled she will get her vaccine at Walmart on Friday, just ahead of the spring break rush and before people 60 and up are able to start booking appointments Monday.
