Local teachers, regardless of age, are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, but many are struggling to get an appointment through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
The program is a vaccine distribution partnership between the federal government and retail pharmacies nationwide. In Indiana, federal partner retailers are Kroger, Meijer and Walmart.
About half of states, including all four that neighbor Indiana, were already vaccinating teachers. Now, under President Joe Biden’s direction, teachers in all 50 states may register for a vaccine.
Gov. Eric Holcomb has repeatedly said he values teachers but does not want to prioritize professions. Instead, the state has taken an age-based approach, gradually lowering the age to, now, Hoosiers 50 and older. The state’s goal is to vaccinate those with the highest risk of becoming hospitalized or dying due to complications caused by the virus.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Biden’s decision opens up the vaccine to all types of school staff, including K-12 teachers, classroom aides, bus drivers, janitors, counselors, administrators, cafeteria workers and substitute teachers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, all licensed childcare providers and teachers at Head Start or Early Head Start programs are eligible, the CDC says.
Kroger is offering the vaccine to teachers at any pharmacy location that has it, but availability is scarce. As of Monday, there were no available appointments at any Kroger pharmacy within 20 miles of Franklin or Greenwood.
Meijer, through a partnership with the Indiana State Teacher’s Association, is offering vaccines at 12 stores around the state, but has not disclosed the locations. As of Friday, Meijer had vaccinated more than 3,000 teachers who registered on the retailer’s own vaccine registration platform.
Meijer officials said it will continue coordinating clinics in the coming weeks as the retailer receives additional doses earmarked for teachers. About 10,000 total doses are expected to be in the arms of teachers by the end of the week, they said.
It is unclear whether Walmart has begun offering vaccines to teachers, as the retailer has not released any information about availability. Vaccines are available at three Walmart locations in Johnson County on the state’s vaccine registration platform, but teachers cannot register on the state’s platform unless they are 50 or older.
Some local teachers have secured appointments, but many are struggling, said Tony Harris, president of the Franklin Community Teachers’ Association. The vaccine being available to teachers at all is progress, though the process is off to a rocky start, he said.
“I’m happy that now there is an opportunity. It is still not perfect, but it is better than it was two or three weeks ago when that wasn’t a possibility,” Harris said.
Some local teachers say they feel disheartened and left behind by Holcomb in the state’s vaccine roll-out given the risk they take every day, he said.
“I think it is disheartening, to say the least, when you have great people who do a tough job in a year when you have put them at risk more than necessary,” Harris said. “Especially when you see states around Indiana offering the vaccine to teachers.”
Teachers reported trying to register for vaccines at Kroger and Walmart without much luck. One said she called Kroger and had a customer service representative check 25 zip codes, but all appointments were booked. She also texted the number Meijer set up for teachers to make appointments but has not received one yet.
Harris has not tried to get an appointment yet, but said others at Franklin Community Middle School, where he works, have had mixed results. Some were able to make an appointment, but others are still waiting for their shot.
Older educators who can register through the state’s portal generally have a much easier time getting an appointment, because there is more availability. For example, Thom Hord, a golf coach at Greenwood Community Schools, said it was easy to schedule his vaccine through the state.
He is not alone. About 50% of the 79,000 teachers in Indiana are 50 or older, according to state data.
It feels good to finally have that sense of protection, Hord said.
“I feel it was long overdue. Our teachers and coaches should have been some of the very first to be able to receive the vaccine,” he said. “The ability to now be around our players and students knowing that we are safe — but more importantly knowing that we are safe for them to be around — is priceless.”
Kroger spokesperson Eric Halvorson recommends checking the website often, as new appointments are added all the time but claimed quickly, he said.
As eligibility expands, appointments become more scarce, Halvorson said. The uptick in demand prompted the addition of pharmacy staff at the Franklin store, he said.
“If patients find the calendar is full, they should check back periodically. New appointments open every day. We are doing everything we can to serve the people of Johnson County and help all Hoosiers live healthier lives,” Halvorson said.
All Kroger locations in the county, as well as the Claybrook Commons store just north of the county line, offer the vaccine.
At Meijer, teachers can request to be added to a wait list for a clinic to be held sometime in the future, but they may not be contacted right away, officials said.
Registered customers are contacted directly with an appointment time and location once a time slot becomes available, officials said.
Teachers will likely have to travel outside the county to get a vaccine at Meijer, as local stores are not listed on the state’s vaccination site map.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Here is a look at how educators can register for a vaccine:
Meijer
Text: ISTA to 75049
Online: clinic.meijer.com/
Phone: Call your local Meijer pharmacy
Kroger
Online: kroger.com/rx/covid-eligibility
Here is a look at how educators age 50 or older can register for a vaccine:
Johnson Memorial Hospital
When: Vaccines available 8 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturdays.
Where: Old emergency wing, 1125 W Jefferson St, Franklin. Parking in Blue Lot H.
Registration: Online at ourshot.in.gov. Call 211 or any Johnson County Public Library for help registering.
Adult and Child Health Franklin
When: Vaccines available noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Where: 1860 Northwood Plaza, Franklin
Registration: Online at ourshot.in.gov. Call 211 or any Johnson County Public Library for help registering.
Windrose Health Edinburgh
When: Vaccines available 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. On Wednesdays the clinic is closed to the public but is open give shots allocated for regular Windrose patients.
Where: 911 E. Main Cross Street, Edinburgh
Registration: Online at ourshot.in.gov. Call 211 or any Johnson County Public Library for help registering.
Walmart and Sams Club Pharmacies
Where: Walmart stores at 2125 N Morton St, Franklin; 882 S State Road 135, Greenwood; 1133 N Emerson Avenue, Greenwood; Sams Club at 1101 Windhorst Way, Greenwood.
Registration: Online at ourshot.in.gov. Call 211 or any Johnson County Public Library for help registering.
Kroger Pharmacies
When: Daily, during pharmacy business hours
Where: Kroger stores at 5961 N State Road 135, Greenwood; 2200 Independence Dr., Greenwood; 970 N. Morton St., Franklin; 3100 Meridian Parke Dr., Greenwood; 8850 S Emerson Ave, Indianapolis.
Registration: kroger.com/rx/covid-eligibility
[sc:pullout-text-end]
