Longview ISD offers COVID-19 vaccines to students

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) - The Longview Independent School District announced today they will be providing COVID-19 vaccinations to any students who want it, age 16 and up. And the offer of vaccine came as a surprise after they received a phone call.

Generally, when someone says Longview High School Library, well, learning comes to mind, but the next two days it will change considerably when it becomes a COVID-19 vaccination center. Superintendent Dr. James Wilcox said this morning they got a call.

“St. May’s Catholic Church, and they had gotten an oversupply of vaccine and wanted to know if we were interested in partnering as a distribution site,” Wilcox said.

LISD agreed, and Wilcox wants to point out that it’s being offered to, “Anyone 16 or older; totally voluntary, we’re not forcing anyone to take a shot. I want to make sure we understand that.”

Parents of minor students have to give their permission for their children to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

“That’s what you have to go online for. You go online to get all that done prior to coming in,” Wilcox said.

There is a link for sign up on the LISD website. This is a first for their students and possibly the state.

“As far as we know we are the only ones certainly in East Texas, and possibly in the state,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox says they will have 900 doses available, and so far it’s a onetime clinic.

“We will see what kind of response we get before we schedule another,” Wilcox said.

And that of course will be determined from the number of sign ups and vaccine availability.

“Our main focus is a safe environment for our student. It’s why we have tried to be ahead of this as much as we can,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox adds the vaccinations are open to anyone 16 or older who has gone through the registration process to receive the Pfizer first dose. Second doses will be scheduled when recipients receive the first.

Wilcox says LISD was one of the first schools in the state to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to staff members, as well as the COVID-19 test.

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