Austin ISD receives COVID-19 vaccine for eligible staff

Austin ISD and Ascension Seton announced its partnership Saturday to get eligible teachers vaccinated over the weekend and through Tuesday.

The first to receive the vaccine have been on-campus staff aged 65 and older. To follow will be those with a qualifying condition in Group 1B and those teachers whose accommodations were denied for the upcoming semester.

Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde revealed the news to staff in a letter sent on Friday.

While noting that AISD police officers and nurses have already begun receiving their vaccines, she added they will continue to advocate for all teachers and staff to be prioritized as the vaccines become more widely available.

Austin ISD central office staff are notifying eligible individuals via a personal phone call and email to tell them how they can register to be vaccinated, according to the announcment.

The news came just one day after Dr. Elizalde announced that in-person classes will resume on Tuesday with the added precaution of canceling all extracurriculars except varsity athletics. The option for online learning will be offered to families through the rest of the school year.