INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana teachers and school employees of any age will soon be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Meijer, Walmart and Kroger pharmacies will take part in the federally run vaccine program aiming at President Joe Biden's ambitious goal.
"We want every educator, school staff member, child care worker to have at least one shot by the end of March," Biden said.
Anderson High School teacher Marissa Tanner said she's ecstatic.
"Being vaccinated is just one step closer to having school like it should be." Tanner said.
The pandemic has been a haphazard journey for schools. They've closed, reopened, and switched back and forth between virtual and in-class learning. Educators struggled to teach and protect themselves and their students.
"I alone have 160 students on my roster. If they are going to come back, that is a lot of exposure for me and exposure for them," said Victor Schleich, a teacher at North Central High School.
With teachers, office staff, bus drivers and other workers sickened by the virus or quarantined, schools have struggled to keep kids learning and safe.
The Indiana State Teachers Association repeatedly called on Gov. Eric Holcomb to make school workers of all ages a priority and eligible for vaccinations.
"We believe this will get the learning conditions a little bit more under control which also helps with family life," said Keith Gambill, ISTA president.
Educators have high expectations.
"We can have school hopefully five days a week," Tanner said. "We don’t have to deal with hybrid learning. We can have more hands-on projects."
In his weekly COVID-19 briefing, Holcomb said they are still getting details on the program. Teachers younger than 50 will not be able to register for a vaccination using the state's web site or 211 call center. Appointments will have to be made using each pharmacy's web site.
Alyx Crooks is breathing a sigh of relief, knowing she could be getting the vaccine sooner rather than later.
“That’s one less thing to worry about each day,” the 27-year-old said.
Crooks, a fourth grade teacher for IPS, said the past year has been the most challenging of her career.
“We’re wearing masks. We’re taking these precautions, but are we going to cross somewhere where we accidently pass it to someone else or we catch it ourselves?” she said.
This week’s announcement from the Biden administration has lifted a weight off teachers like Crooks who aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine based on age.
“I had come to terms with I wasn’t going to get it maybe before the next school year, but I came to terms with this was going to be my reality,” Crooks said.
That reality is changing though with the federal government making more vaccine available to states through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
“We have been waiting,” Crooks said.
“They definitely need to give these teachers an option to cover themselves one hundred percent before they just throw all these kids back in there on them like that,” said Sonya Tucker, who has two teenage daughters who are back in school a few days a week.
Tucker is worried every day about what they could bring home to her 78-year old mother who lives with them.
“Fortunately, none of us has got COVID at this point,” said Tucker. She’s praying it stays that way.
Her mom is getting vaccinated this week.
Tucker, who just turned 50, is getting the first appointment available for herself and her husband now that the age requirement to get the vaccine is at 50 and above.
“You just have to be responsible and I feel like, for me, it just wouldn’t be responsible to not get myself covered. There’s just too many people depending on me,” said Tucker.
Crooks knows the feeling.
“I’ve had multiple parents comment with vaccines coming out, they feel more comfortable sending their students back to school and they support our staff getting the vaccine so we’re all safe and there to support their kids as well,” Crooks said.