Texas joins federal program to vaccinate staff, residents at long-term care facilities for free
AUSTIN - Residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Texas will get free access to COVID-19 vaccinations this month.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that the state will participate in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, a federal program to vaccinate residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
According to Abbott's statement, the program is "free to facilities and sends staff and Pfizer vaccines from partnering Walgreens and CVS locations to these facilities to vaccinate residents and staff who volunteer to participate."
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More than 1,200 nursing facilities and more tahan 2,000 other long-term care facilities have signed up for this program.
The first vaccines included in this program will be provided to pharmacies the week of Dec. 21, and the program will begin Dec. 28.
"The Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program will help the State of Texas facilitate safe vaccinations among some of our most vulnerable populations, and it will help us protect residents and staff of long-term care facilities from COVID-19," said Gov. Abbott.
Long-term care facilities that have not enrolled in the pharmacy program may choose to enroll with the Texas Department of State Health Services Immunization Program to receive vaccines and vaccinate their own staff and residents or partner with a local pharmacy or other vaccine provider.