Rite Aid offering exclusive vaccine appointments for childcare, education workers

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. - Rite Aid announced that it has expanded its COVID-19 vaccine appointments to include exclusive time slots for teachers, school staff and childcare providers.

The pharmacy said it is doing this to help protect school communities and return kids and teachers safely to in-person learning.

 "Teachers and school employees are cornerstones of our communities, and we truly appreciate all the hard work and dedication they continue to put into educating our children as we battle this pandemic," said Jim Peters, chief operating officer, Rite Aid. "In support of the HHS directive for provider partners to prioritize the vaccination of educators, school staff and licensed childcare staff, we are proud to do our part in protecting school communities and returning educators, staff and students safely back into classrooms. In-person learning is a critical step forward to help address mental health concerns and educational disparities for our most disadvantaged and vulnerable students. We continue to embrace our role in helping end the pandemic."

Qualifying educators and childcare providers will be able to schedule their exclusive appointments for Thursday, March 11, and Friday, March 12.

The new eligibility criteria applies to individuals in the seven states and two local jurisdictions where Rite Aid currently administers vaccines through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.

Those eligible through this expansion are encouraged to schedule an appointment through the Rite Aid scheduling tool, which can be found at www.riteaid.com/covid-19.