Texas officials activate federal C-19 vaccine program for long-term care staff, residents

by Staff reports

AUSTIN – Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday, Dec. 11, 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 against COVID-19.

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,” Abbott said, thanking the CDC “for offering this program free of charge to these facilities and for working alongside us to keep our communities safe.”

The program is free to facilities, utilizing Pfizer vaccines from partnering Walgreens and CVS locations and providing them for facilities to vaccinate residents and staff who volunteer to participate.

More than 1,200 skilled nursing facilities and more than 2,000 other long-term care facilities have signed up for this program, totaling more than 225,000 certified beds, the release noted.

The first vaccines included in this program will be provided to pharmacies the week of Dec. 21, with the program beginning the following week on Dec. 28.

Long-term care facilities not yet enrolled in the pharmacy program may choose to enroll with the Texas Department of State Health Services' Immunization Program to receive vaccines for vaccinating their own staff and residents, or partner with a local pharmacy or other vaccine provider, according to the release.