FORT WORTH, Texas — The first day of school is just around the corner. With the rise of COVID-19 cases and health experts' concerns over Delta variant, some students should consider getting at least one thing before returning for in-person learning: their vaccine.
For students beginning classes on Aug. 9, this Tuesday is the last day those 12 and older can get their first vaccine shot and be fully vaccinated before going back to school.
Pfizer-BioNTech is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for children and teens ages 12 to 17, and it needs two doses to be effective. The CDC guidelines recommend getting a second shot three weeks (or 21 days) after the first. The CDC only counts people as fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot.
Depending on your district's start date, here's when your child needs to get their first dose:
Classes beginning on Aug. 2
It's too late to be fully vaccinated by the first day of class, but if they get the first dose this week, you'll be fully vaccinated a week after the start of classes.
Classes beginning on Aug. 9
Tuesday, July 6 is the last day they can get the first shot to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of classes.
Classes beginning on Aug. 16
July 12 is the last day they can get the first shot to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of classes.
Forth Worth ISD begins classes on Aug. 16. Dallas ISD has three different calendars for the 2021-2022 with different start dates. You can check which calendar applies to your Dallas school here.
Looking for vaccination clinics in Fort Worth? Tarrant County Public Health has partnered with Fort Worth Zoo to host a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics at the zoo on half-price Wednesdays for the month of July from 9 to 11 a.m.
All of the TCPH pop-up locations will offer all three vaccine options available: Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna.
These are other vaccine pop-up locations the county is hosting in July:
Mansfield Sub Courthouse
July 6, 12, 19, 22, 26; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
1100 E Broad Street
Mansfield, Texas 76063
Fort Worth Zoo
July 7, 14, 28 and Aug. 4; 9 to 11 a.m.
Portraits of the Wild Art Gallery
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, Texas 76110
William McDonald YMCA
July 17; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2701 Moresby Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76105
Sundance Square Pavilion
Friday, July 9, 16, 23, 30; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Near the intersection of 4th and Main Streets
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
To find a local vaccine site, check the Tarrant County vaccine finder page.
Organizations interested in having a vaccination site open to the public or for a specific group can sign up on the county's website.