Fort Worth, TEXAS — Kids 5-11 are now able to get vaccinated against COVID, but one mother of an 11-year-old in Texas does not plan to get her daughter vaccinated anytime soon. 

What You Need To Know

  • Children 5-11 are now eligible to get COVID vaccines

  • Ruth Ray of Fort Worth does not want her 11-year-old to be vaccinated

  • Her child’s school district, Northwest ISD, is being proactive

  • Ray’s entire family, including her youngest daughter, has already contracted and recovered from the virus

Ruth Ray of Fort Worth is a mom to two daughters. Her oldest daughter is 20, and has not gotten vaccinated. The other child is 11 and just became eligible to get the vaccine.

“I wouldn’t consider our family anti-vaccine. I would consider us vaccine-hesitant, if you were to describe my viewpoints,” Ray said.

Ray does not think she will have her youngest get the shot. The 11-year-old is in sixth grade in Northwest ISD, in North Fort Worth. She isn’t just leary of the COVID vaccine, but other immunizations as well.

“We have, well prior to COVID, had some vaccine hesitancy, in the sense that we’ve delayed a lot of dosages. We haven’t always completely ignored the vaccine,” Ray explained. “Our family has never really been a family that has prescribed to getting flu or pneumonia vaccines.”

She is hesitant about the ingredients, particularly any that might go against her anti-abortion viewpoints. She also believes in natural immunities and antibodies.

“We have all already had and recovered from COVID infections within our home,” she said.

Anthony Tosie with Northwest ISD said the district has not made plans yet to vaccinate students at the schools, but the district is being proactive.

“Right now, we’re just communicating with families about where they can go to get the vaccine,” Tosie explained. “For the most part it’s handled through the federal government and the state government. We are looking into ways we can hopefully provide a vaccination clinic through a vendor, but we’re still working on that.”

He said any future vaccine mandates or requirements would not come from the district, if at all.

“A lot of that comes from the state. The state sets the guidelines for vaccination requirements, so we don’t have any control over that. But if parents want to get their kids vaccinated, we encourage it, so they can feel more safe in our schools and get whatever help they need,” Tosie said.

Ray is glad her 11-year-old will not be forced to go against her family’s beliefs.

“Some of those natural antibodies are not something we should just ignore the value of,” Ray said.

Here are some of the vsaccination plans from other school districts in North Texas:

  • Argyle ISD has no plans for a vaccination clinic.
  • Arlington ISD is in discussions with the county, but nothing firmed up yet.
  • Birdville ISD does not have any clinics planned.
  • Coppell ISD is looking to possibly partner with tom thumb for a clinic, but nothing is confirmed.
  • Dallas ISD has no details to share.
  • Everman ISD plans to host a clinic, but is waiting on guidance from the county.
  • Fort Worth ISD is working with the city, but has no plans yet.
  • Grand Prairie ISD has no plans for clinics.
  • Keller ISD does not plan on hosting clinics.
  • Lewisville ISD does plan to offer clinics.
  • Princeton ISD will not offer clinics.
  • Sunnyvale ISD is exploring options for a clinic.
  • White Settlement ISD has not had discussions yet for clinics for its younger students.