To think teachers should be moved up vaccination list..

[Ltdannygreen]

I’m not a teacher just to clarify, but I can’t be the only one who think teachers should be a priority on the vaccination list, not just so kids can get back to school but many are currently working to teach the children of key workers who are on the frontline everyday who still pose a risk. I’m aware that elderly are important, but so are our teachers.

The priority list is based on those most likely to die. It is decided based on science and evidence. Those most likely to die from Covid should be vaccinated first.

[quote Ltdannygreen]@JogOnTony I never said that, I just said they should be a priority. Twisted my words around.[/quote]
So why mention your 75 year old FIL with heart problems if that wasn't what you were suggesting?

Where exactly do you think young fit healthy teachers should be bumped up to? Because that will always result in someone statistically more vulnerable than them being pushed further down?

@saraclara

At the moment, if a teacher gets Covid, then the whole class gets sent home for ten days. Or if they're a contact, they're off work for ten days. If you want schools open consistently, then teachers need vaccinating so that they're in school throughout because they won't get it and nor will they need to isolate if they come in contact with it..

Not true.

I agree, I think teachers should get the vaccination sooner than is currently planned as they are at great risk at work.
However, if all school children go back there is still the community spread issue once they all attend in full, which has a wider impact.
Vaccinate the elderly/vulnerable AND moving the teachers up the list should be a priority I think.
But that would take a bit of forward planning, not something that seems to be a strength of this government sadly.

OP what do you think vaccinating teachers earlier will achieve? Schools won't be able to go back any quicker as the virus will still spread amongst pupils and their families so the teachers may not get ill but its not achieved anything if the school continually has to close for isolations

@FuckOffBorisYouTwat

Yes because they are having to associate with so many people who will pass it on to si many people

It's not about who's more exposed. It's about easing the strain on hospitals. So obviously the best way to do that is to vaccinate the people more likely to... Y'know... Need a hospital? Which is exactly what they are doing.

@Calmandmeasured1

The priority list is based on those most likely to die. It is decided based on science and evidence. Those most likely to die from Covid should be vaccinated first.

Should they though?

Or should the ones more likely to get it/pass it on?

If a teacher has to self isolate or gets covid then the whole class loses out.

Once vulnerable and elderly and health are workers get vaccines then it seems like a good plan to vaccinate teachers.

Should they though?

Erm yes... Considering the main focus point of this whole bloody thing is easing the strain on the NHS....

So yes it makes total sense to prioritise the people who are more likely to need the NHS. Including those who are statistically more likely to unfortunately die. They don't just get left in the street, they will be in hospitals, taking up beds and resources for what can be weeks before (which sounds very cold but true).

I have said YABU because the whole point is to reduce the severe cases so elderly people or CEV people are likely to need hospital care which is the issue but I agree they should be high up the list.

Once the top groups are done then teachers should be above the generally fit and well under 70s IMO.

I actually think those in essential customer/people facing roles should be high up also. Supermarket staff etc as actually there seems to be even less control over what people are doing in there.

It's really hard though as there are so many industries that could do with their staff being vaccinated, esp those that have had to shut for months on end so probably doing it in age groups like they have done is the only way to get it sorted.

@Calmandmeasured1

The priority list is based on those most likely to die. It is decided based on science and evidence. Those most likely to die from Covid should be vaccinated first.

I'm in group 8 I think? In the 50-55 age group and apparently targetted by the government for after February (the over 70's and ECV) but before Easter. I'd say that on balance I am probably less likely to die from Covid than a 40 ish teacher who will have to wait until the autumn with the 'everybody else' group of adults - because I work from home and I am not working in a viral soup surrounded by asymptomatic teenagers.

@JogOnTony

Should they though?

Erm yes... Considering the main focus point of this whole bloody thing is easing the strain on the NHS....

So yes it makes total sense to prioritise the people who are more likely to need the NHS. Including those who are statistically more likely to unfortunately die. They don't just get left in the street, they will be in hospitals, taking up beds and resources for what can be weeks before (which sounds very cold but true).

God this is sad.

@OverTheRainbowLiesOz

If a teacher has to self isolate or gets covid then the whole class loses out.

Once vulnerable and elderly and health are workers get vaccines then it seems like a good plan to vaccinate teachers.

But we don't yet know if the vaccine actually stops transmission... At the moment the main thing is it stops you getting severely ill. We don't know if it stops you from being able to pass it on. So this is a completely irrelevant point until we know whether it actually stops transmission or not.

What is sad about that?

You just asked whether we should be prioritising people who are more likely to die... I'd say that's pretty fucked up because yes of course we bloody should.

Only if other public facing workers are also prioritised - bus drivers, police officers, fire fighters, prison officers etc

@Wheresmykimchi the point of vaccinating is so that people stop dying of covid. We don’t know yet whether it stops them transmitting it. So the fact that teachers may be transmitters is irrelevant. Or even it’s an argument against vaccinating - you want your key transmitters to get symptoms so that their contacts can be isolated.

I'm group 4. My local GP has vaccinated half of group 1 and says supply is sporadic. So it could be a while yet! I'm sure they said I'm to be done by mid feb 🤷🏽‍♀️ but then still have to shield after so I'm a bit, what's the point really of rushing it for me? I'm shielding now, and will have to shield after

It's two separate issues though isn't it?

Safety of teachers is the reason teachers and unions wanted schools closed - despite not a lot of evidence that teachers get covid at higher rates than the rest of the population.

The government closed schools based on the idea that schools help spread the disease through the population. Personally I don't think that's true for primary schools that have already been shut for 3 weeks now and rates still going up.

So if you vaccinate for reason one, it does nothing for reason two. It just means teachers and unions can't ask for schools to remain shut for their safety.

@JogOnTony

What is sad about that?

You just asked whether we should be prioritising people who are more likely to die... I'd say that's pretty fucked up because yes of course we bloody should.

Sorry , sad as in

Sad about the weighing up of human life - I didn't know about the points you made about taking up beds.

I don't think I'm 'fucked up' though I think I'm just aware there are lots of impacts going on and I'm not sure about the overall impact of vaccinating the elderly

@JogOnTony
We’ve already seen that even fit and healthy people have been flawed and died because of this. I understand that they will of course prioritise the elderly. Of course I want my FIL to have the vaccination, he hasn’t seen his grandchildren in 13 months because of this, my son is autistic and finding it extremely hard not seeing someone he is so close to, but I’m just saying that I think teachers should be prioritised aswell, I never once said they were to go right to the top of the list, but they are working with kids who have parents working the frontline potentially more risk than kids without parents that are key workers.

But if the teacher gets covid they can't teach. The class loses their teacher.

I’m a teacher and I don’t agree. It should be done by priority of those who are likely to end up in hospital. The numbers don’t support the idea that we’re massively at risk. The problem with schools is transmission between pupils.

Having said that, once the elderly have been vaccinated and health and social care staff, we should come close behind. Certainly behind all the people my age (early 40s) who are wfh!

Basically are you statistically high at risk of getting severely ill and / or dying from Covid and requiring hospital treatment? Yes or no? If no then no, you shouldn't be prioritised above more vulnerable people whether or not your actual exposure is greater than someone else's.

It's not about your exposure. It's about your risk factor should you get it.

@JogOnTony

What is sad about that?

You just asked whether we should be prioritising people who are more likely to die... I'd say that's pretty fucked up because yes of course we bloody should.

There is also little evidence of the elderly or vulnerable being more likely to die.

I'm sure I'm not alone in knowing someone in their 80s, and 90s, and a few months old baby having covid without a snuffle yet having known people die of 30s, 50s with no underlying health. Thats before we ecen think about suicide rates or the impact of not being in school for (my) vulnerable pupils. So I'd appreciate withdrawal of the fucked up.

Yes I agree. Otherwise it will be quite a short time before schools are in crisis as well as hospitals.