Rite Aid Prioritizing Vaccines For Washington Teachers

WASHINGTON — Teachers, school staff, child care providers and other educators who need a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine may find what they're looking for at Rite-Aid.

Right now, hundreds of teachers across Washington are preparing to head back to the classroom for the first time since the pandemic began.

Last Friday, Gov. Jay Inslee signed an emergency proclamation ordering all K-12 schools to reopen for in-person instruction. By April 5, all schools must have an in-person hybrid option for students in grades K-6. By April 19, they'll have to be ready for all students K-12.

That gives teachers and staff just a few short weeks to get their shots if they want to be protected by the time class restarts.

Related: Washington Teachers Now Eligible For Coronavirus Vaccines

To help educators get those shots, Rite Aid pharmacies have announced that they will be providing vaccines exclusively to qualifying educators, school staff and licensed childcare program staff several days this month, including:

• Friday, March 19
• Saturday, March 20
• Friday, March 26
• Saturday, March 27

"Rite Aid recognizes and appreciates the hard work of our teachers, school employees, and childcare staff over the last year," the company said in a statement. "The company is proud to continue its work to help bring an end to the pandemic and protect our communities - including educators - from COVID-19."

There are 133 Rite Aid stores in Washington. Rite Aid does not currently allow patients to schedule vaccinations over the phone, instead qualifying educators can schedule an appointment online through their Rite Aid COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduler.