Houston ISD town hall aims to dispel COVID-19 vaccine myths for teachers

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Now that Texas has ordered coronavirus vaccine providers to prioritize teachers for the shots, Houston ISD worked to separate fact from fiction on the vaccines through a town hall with educators Friday.

The school district, which employs more than 29,000 staff members, faculty and teachers, held a virtual town hall.

HISD recruited the help of a handful familiar authority figures who have become the top voices during the pandemic, including Dr. David Persse, the chief medical officer of the Houston Health Authority.

Ahead of the event, teachers were asked to submit questions about the coronavirus vaccine.

Earlier this week, the Texas Department of State Health Services, prodded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, issued guidance on making sure teachers are immediately vaccinated. Previously, Texas school employees who were high risk or frontline medical personnel like school nurses were the only ones in the education field to be vaccinated.

The guidance also came in the midst of Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement to lift COVID-19 mandates, including one that orders mask use in public. School districts, many of which stated they would stand by for guidance from the Texas Education Agency on whether to keep the mandates in place, were given the decision by the state’s education panel the option to maintain or lift their own individual mask policies.