Teachers eligible for vaccine at select pharmacies as CPS to consider five day weeks

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Select pharmacies across Missouri are currently offering coronavirus vaccines to teachers as local education boards look to get students back to in-person classes five days a week.

President Joe Biden says vaccinating educators is a priority and hopes to have every educator get at least one coronavirus vaccine shot by the end of March.

This comes as the Columbia Board of Education is set to vote Monday night on returning to five day, in-person school weeks.

Currently, elementary students in Columbia are learning in-person four days per week. Middle and high school students are in-person two days and online via Zoom two days.

Monday night's board meeting is scheduled for 6:30.

Even though educators are not eligible to get their vaccine through Missouri's plan, they can get vaccinated right now at a few major pharmacies through a federal program.

Those select pharmacies include Walmart, Hy-Vee, CVS and Health Mart.

On March 15, educators will become eligible under the state's guidance to get a vaccine anywhere it is available.

Columbia Public Schools estimates roughly 23 percent of its staff has been vaccinated so far.