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.

@TheSultanofPingu

Can I please point out that a school cannot run on teachers alone ( although admittedly they are very important). Other school staff are often forgotten about on these threads. Not the point of the thread I know, but just wanted to get it off my chest.

I think that anything that increases the chance of a school continuing to function is a good idea. NHS staff are vaccinated for this reason.

I actually meant teaching assistants aswell, to me they are very important, my son has learnt most of what he knows through the help of teaching assistants and wouldn’t have got this far without them. He has asd so 1 on 1 is very important

My son is a secondary school teacher in his 30s who suffers from asthma. He is still recovering from his second, more severe, dose of Covid, which he caught more than 3 months after the first. I dread what a third would be like. NHS don't seem to record second infections.

BurtonHouse
Is that a second confirmed case as in positive test both times? If so, it is worrying the second bout was worse.

I have read somewhere there is a question mark as to how or whether people with autoimmune diseases raise antibodies so this would make sense.... If confirmed both times, it is a disgrace it was not recorded and should be talked about in the public domaine.

It wouldn't stop the spread, which is the aim of school closures. High school children, especially boys are asymptomatic spreaders and they fill public transport twice a day. It makes more sense to get those overfilling the hospitals vaccinated.

There's also, cleaners, grounds and admin staff to vaccinate, as well as teachers. Then there's the school volunteers. That's a lot of vaccinations for people who aren't at risk, while those that are and have to keep working, are going without.

Erm, cleaners, grounds and admin staff are working Ponoka. Whether or not they are at risk is debatable, but it's wrong to suggest they aren't working

Yes, teachers should definitely be on the list, or at least on the last minute call up list for when there may be vaccinations left at the end of the day that need using up. We (emergency services, non medical) are being given vaccines at the end of the day if there are any available, although we are near to one of the big centres. Teachers have a much higher risk than I do I would guess.

I agree they should be moved up, but with one in six in the uk with moderate or severe underlying health conditions, there will still be a significant backlog

I'm a teacher. I don't think we should be placed before the top, most vulnerable groups who are more likely to die. But I'd like some intelligence in administering to the lower groups in terms of who is more at risk within those groups as the numbers of people to be vaccinated is HUGE.

I'm CV and only narrowly missed being classified as CEV based on the medication criteria for my illness. I would hope that all vulnerable people who are in a job where they have to mix daily with large numbers of people are placed ahead of people who are able to work from home. Not necessarily people who get to keep the distancing and other mitigating factors in place, but those where it's been deemed unneccessary to maintain it. Or where it is flouted by people in general. So shop staff, yes, as so many shoppers won't wear masks and don't keep distancing (though shops could pull their weight and limit numbers and have one way systems in place again like they did in March). And definitely school staff, esp primary where they deem us so much 'safer' (cos kids don't get it/pass it/die from it in high numbers, some of which is now not so clear with the new variant) and we aren't really even supposed to wear masks.

Of course, vaccinating staff will remove one argument from unions for the reasons that schools are not safe places. It took a long time for the govt to finally admit that them being open is indeed covid-soup and for them to shut. Even now, Welsh gov is making noises about opening younger ages first because they find home learning more difficult. But they also find distancing and hygeine impossible more difficult too. But if they can argue that school staff are less at risk of being seriously ill - which is the biggest benefit of having had the vaccine imo - then they can argue that schools are safe enough to shut.

...safe enough to not stay shut.

@Sinful8

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

So I'd appreciate withdrawal of the fucked up."

Yeah your conspiracy theory shite is fucked up

Average age of death from covid in the uk is 84.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. Thanks.

@Sinful8

"Honestly?

I think the mental health statistics and the impact of certain professions need to have some weight here"

So men working in factories should be the number 1 priority?

What?

The reality here is that once the most vulnerable categories have been vaccinated schools will likely be able to start to re-open anyway. So unless you’re suggesting that teachers should in fact be vaccinated ahead of the most vulnerable then the whole debate around this is 100% pointless.

We have enough data now to vaccinate based on who is most likely to be seriously ill and need the NHS. That is the first ten categories. After that it could be done by profession, not sure how that would even work but would teachers even be that high? I am not sure that there is much evidence to suggest that they are more likely to be seriously ill than people who work in factories for example. It would be fairer if the next categories were by age band 50-40, 40-30, 30-20, 20-16. I do also think it is largely relevant anyway as I am guessing once the over 50s have been vaccinated everything will open up anyway as a cost benefits analysis would suggest that. The lockdown at that stage would be potentially more detrimental.

I am not sure that there is much evidence to suggest that they are more likely to be seriously ill than people who work in factories for example

The issue with schools isn't so much about the evidence that school staff get more seriously ill, it's the fact that the environment staff are working in has had no modification made to in light of covid and that school staff are mixing with hundreds of people directly on a daily basis (and I don't want to think of the indirect number). If the new variant gets in a school, the school will be shut overnight, or certainly within a few days. Vaccinating school staff is more about recognising the importance of education and trying to keep schools open whilst we work through this mess.

Schools are shut because the virus will spread rapidly if children are there. Vaccinating teachers isn't going to stop that. Once the most vulnerable categories are vaccinated schools will reopen anyway.

Agree OP.

I would actually argue, nursery staff, childminders and EYFS teachers/KS1 staff first, as children cannot soically distance at that age.

Also, possibly controversial, but I think those living in houses of multiple of occupancy should be prioritised over people living with family etc.

@Wheresmykimchi
Young mentally vulnerable people. The last on the list for the vaccine.

Again - Which statistics or research are you basing this idea on?
How would it benefit this group (more than other people) to get the vaccine early?

[quote BoomBoomsCousin]@Wheresmykimchi
Young mentally vulnerable people. The last on the list for the vaccine.

Again - Which statistics or research are you basing this idea on?
How would it benefit this group (more than other people) to get the vaccine early?[/quote]
Based on the idea that the vaccine stops the spread , which is still up for debate, to get them back into school / work and get society functioning again. I wasn't aware I needed a thesis , I just have my own feelings and opinions and I've said tenfold we all see it through a different lens

Disagree. The JCVI have drawn up a priority list based on reducing hospitalisation and deaths.

Vaccinating teachers, before the above, will not help open schools, because if kids are still get it they can then transmit out into the community.

We have now seen other unions (bus drivers, supermarket workers) quite rightly arguing if people are being vaccinated first it should include them. 42 London bus drivers have died so far.

It would be immoral if one profession, just because they are an educated group, supported by vocal middle class parents get put to the front of the queue ahead of the groups eminent scientists, on reviewing the data, have concluded need to be vaccinated first, or ahead of other professions who are exposed to equal or greater risk.

@GoldGreen

Disagree. The JCVI have drawn up a priority list based on reducing hospitalisation and deaths.

Vaccinating teachers, before the above, will not help open schools, because if kids are still get it they can then transmit out into the community.

We have now seen other unions (bus drivers, supermarket workers) quite rightly arguing if people are being vaccinated first it should include them. 42 London bus drivers have died so far.

It would be immoral if one profession, just because they are an educated group, supported by vocal middle class parents get put to the front of the queue ahead of the groups eminent scientists, on reviewing the data, have concluded need to be vaccinated first, or ahead of other professions who are exposed to equal or greater risk.

Do you think teachers are on the whole supported ? Let alone by 'middle class vocal parents?'

As a TA currently supervising a class of 20, I really hope so - I feel scared at work.

@Wheresmykimchi teachers are well unionised and have got their message out "Vaccinate to Educate". I don't criticise them for this and yes I think this idea will be supported my middle class parents who think that's how to get schools reopened and get their kids back in. You only have to look at all the threads on MN on this issue versus the lack of threads along the lines of,

"Do you agree supermarket workers/bus drivers/prison officers should be prioritised?"

[quote GoldGreen]@Wheresmykimchi teachers are well unionised and have got their message out "Vaccinate to Educate". I don't criticise them for this and yes I think this idea will be supported my middle class parents who think that's how to get schools reopened and get their kids back in. You only have to look at all the threads on MN on this issue versus the lack of threads along the lines of,

"Do you agree supermarket workers/bus drivers/prison officers should be prioritised?"[/quote]
You are dreaming.

Have a look at the amount of teacher bashing threads on a daily basis.

The parents you speak of just want us back in regardless of the vaccine. We are collateral. If supermarkets shut these threads would appear too.

Well unionised I can only assume you have never set foot in education.