Get the Kiddos Tested for COVID at school!

Did you know the Houston Health Department has teamed up with Houston ISD and Alief ISD to offer FREE on-campus, COVID 19 testing to students and staff at many campuses? What a relief! I don’t know about you but every time my daughter has a sore throat or cough, we are headed to get a COVID test somewhere that is usually not close by because of availability! Think of how convenient it is to have the testing done right at your child’s school! Good work HHD!

Check out the video above to see how the testing works and hear from a Houston Health Department representative on why its so important to make sure we get our little ones tested.

Schools in communities with high COVID-19 transmission and low vaccination rates will be prioritized. The test for the little ones is not so harsh as the ones older kids and adults receive. The PCR tests are conducted with a shallow nose swab that goes only half to three- quarters of an inch into the nose and is rotated three times in each nostril. Qualified medical professionals will administer the swabs. Tests are conducted in a certified lab and results expected within one day.

Parents at participating schools will receive a consent form that must be signed for their child to participate so be sure to check your email for details or materials sent home by your student. If you are unsure if their child’s school is offering the testing, they should contact the school. The Houston Health Department urges parents to permit their children to participate in the testing program as a way to keep everyone safe.

As far as the test results, they will be shared only for public health purposes, which may include notifying close contacts that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Sharing of information is done in accordance with applicable law and policies protecting privacy and the security of data.

For more details, log onto https://bit.ly/JJSchoolTestingPro or https://bit.ly/JJHoustonHealth

Here are some other great resources for more information:

Houston ISD

o Consent: http://bit.ly/HISDC19Test.
o Consent assistance: h ttp://bit.ly/3qGoIrB.

o FAQs: http://bit.ly/3qz4NdW

• Aldine ISD