South Florida teachers and school staff under 50 can get vaccine through Navarro, CVS
UPDATE 3/4/2021: All teachers and school staff, as well as daycare and preschool workers, can now get the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the change Thursday to comply with a new mandate from the Biden administration.
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Florida teachers and school staff, including preschool and daycare workers, can now book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at all Navarro Discount Pharmacies and CVS y mas stores in Miami-Dade, regardless of age or medical condition.
This exceeds Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order, effective Wednesday, which limits vaccinations to K-12 school personnel age 50 and up and excludes daycare and preschool workers. CVS Health, which owns the stores, says it’s following the Biden administration’s federal pharmacy program guidelines.
And on Wednesday, Miami-Dade County Public School teachers took to social media to share the good news. CVS’ booking system also allows both the first and second vaccination appointments to be scheduled at once.
Appointments for Miami public school teachers over weekend
Later on, teachers received an email from the school district announcing a limited number of vaccination appointments for school employees Saturday and Sunday through Jackson Health System, Miami-Dade County’s public hospital network. The district’s teachers and school staff who are 50 and over, inclusive of anyone in contact with students, are eligible by appointment only at the following sites:
▪ North Dade Health Center, 16555 NW 25th Ave., Opa Locka
▪ Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center, 1611 NW 12th Ave., Miami
▪ Jackson South Medical Center, 9333 SW 152nd St., Miami
School employees 50 to 64 years old must have an ID or a pay stub showing they are school-site personnel at a K-12 school, or sworn law enforcement or firefighter. Employees of that same age who do not work at a school site must have a note from their doctor on letterhead or a prescription pad that includes their name, the doctor’s signature, the high-risk condition they are being treated for and a doctor’s recommendation to get a vaccine.
Jackson Health told the Miami Herald late Wednesday that an alternative to the doctor’s note would be to show a physician-signed “at risk” form, which can be downloaded at floridahealthcovid19.gov.
At Tuesday’s opening of a walk-up vaccination site in Overtown, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the school district has vaccinated 1,000 school employees ages 65 and older through its partnership with Jackson Health System.
“We will continue to advocate since all teachers regardless of age are frontline, indispensable, essential employees,” Carvalho said, calling it “Our [School] Board’s top priority.”
A Miami-Dade school district spokesperson said school employees with an appointment can take up to two hours of their work day to get vaccinated without having to use sick leave. Consistent with district policy, an employee must receive approval from their principal or supervisor ahead of time.
Broward, Palm Beach school employees can get appointment in Miami
School employees who live in Broward, the Keys or Palm Beach County can also book a slot because while there is a state residency requirement, there is no county requirement.
Teachers and school staff under 50 who found themselves able to book a slot with CVS did so through CVS.com. The portal will ask for your age and to identify which priority group you are in. One of those options is “Teachers K-12, Daycare and preschool workers, and staff members,” and does not give an age restriction.
The form requires writing in the name of your employer before you can schedule your first and second dose. By 4 p.m., some educators posted screenshots on social media with a message that “due to high demand” the area searched is fully booked or does not have any COVID-19 vaccine supply yet. They will have to check back Thursday.
CVS Health, which owns Navarro, CVS y mas and traditional CVS stores, issued a statement Wednesday on the change in policy despite Florida’s vaccine criteria:
“We’ve aligned with updated Federal Retail Pharmacy Program guidelines by making appointments available to pre-K through 12 educators and staff and childcare workers in all 17 states where we currently offer COVID-19 vaccines.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis office, Florida’s Department of Education and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which is tasked with the state’s vaccine distribution, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Biden prioritizing teachers for vaccines
The appointment availability for teachers through Navarro and CVS comes a day after President Joe Biden called for states to vaccinate all K-12 teachers, staff and childcare workers and have them receive at least one shot by the end of March.
Biden said pharmacies participating in the federal government’s pharmacy program would begin prioritizing and scheduling appointments for educators starting next week, according to the Washington Post. One of the participating pharmacies is CVS Health.
Miami Herald staff writers Joey Flechas and Matias Ocner contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 12:51 PM.
