Teachers, school staff, university staff - will you get the vaccine?

[HelloMissus]

Just read a thread where a good proportion of NHS staff say they won’t get the vaccine when it becomes available.

So just wondering what school and university staff will do.

Yes definitely but I don't think teachers will be offered it as a priority over anyone else.

Yes.

I don't think we will be high priority for it so it will be very well tested by the time it gets to us, even if it isn't well tested when it first starts being rolled out (which I really hope won't be the case!)

Yes I definitely would.

Absolutely. I’m an asthmatic Foundation 2 teacher on steroid inhalers. Social distancing is impossible with 4 and 5 year olds! I have a flu jab every year and have to hope that the vaccine provides some sort of protection.

Yes definitely - but like others I doubt as teachers we’ll end up high on the list.

Yes because teachers, unlike NHS staff, are not allowed PPE and social distancing is impossible

I'm currently changing career, and I miss the teaching and the kids. So yes, 100%, then I'd be able to get back in the classroom with a much lower risk.

This is the current version of the priority list. It may well change again (eg if early vaccines are less suitable for the elderly - like the flu jab has two versions by age - or cannot safely be given to some ECV)

The only occupational groups on the list are care home and NHS staff. Everyone else is by age and clinical vulnerability

www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups-for-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-advice-from-the-jcvi-25-september-2020/jcvi-updated-interim-advice-on-priority-groups-for-covid-19-vaccination

1. older adults’ resident in a care home and care home workers
2. all those 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers
3. all those 75 years of age and over
4. all those 70 years of age and over
5. all those 65 years of age and over
6. high-risk adults under 65 years of age
7. moderate-risk adults under 65 years of age
8. all those 60 years of age and over
9. all those 55 years of age and over
10. all those 50 years of age and over
11. rest of the population (priority to be determined)

Yes. And I think we should be higher up the list than general public. Not as high obviously as NHS or people who are very vulnerable or elderly. But if they want schools to be open then they need to have staff to run them

Primary school support staff. I would have the vaccine if it was offered, hoping that sufficient research had been carried out first!

Yes I would.

A lot of NHS staff have no scientific or medical training. Frontline staff can be anything from porters to consultants. I'm hoping that's why so many are saying they won't have it and that their employer will insist on it unless they have some medical reason not to have it.

It is such a shame education/school staff are such a low priority.
Yet when NHS staff needed to be in work in the spring, it was those very people who provided childcare, putting themselves at risk when many other people were allowed to work at home or got furlough money and did not work for that money.

Odd list that. I'm 42, and ecv apparently, so shielded for 5 months. Now 7 on the list, (assuming 6 is for serious heart lung issues) after those that were just socially distancing and otherwise carrying on a normal. Curious.

Also means that fit 65/70 year olds get it before youngsters with cystic fibrosis etc? That's really odd.

Yes, I'm surprised that the (paused) shielded ECV aren't higher up the list.

They were in earlier versions of the list (in third place) and I would love to know what the thinking was behind the change

Absolutely. I'm high risk and work in a secondary school. 5 members of staff tested positive last week. It's terrifying.

@OpheliasCrayon

I'll try do better than I did on the other thread.

No I won't. But it's because I get life threatening reactions to most drugs I take. And so, although I would like to, and I would if I was a "normal" person, I won't when it's so new.

My consultants won't prescribe me new drugs that are available to treat my chronic illnesses due to the extreme reactions I've had to things ( hospitalized / have had the reactions reported and added to the drug info they're so rare).... Until they've been around for a considerable number of years.

I'm not anti vax. I vaccinate my kids and I have all mine and the flu jab as I'm immunosuppressed but no, I won't have the covid one initially. I've had covid and it was very minor for me thankfully so I think the safest thing for the moment is to not. I would need to see what sort of possible reactions there were first before I do.

If I didn't have this issue yes I would get it for sure

Someone like @OpheliasCrayon is exactly why we need big uptake from the rest of us! She needs to be covered by "herd immunity" for this and many other things.

Saw you on the other thread too Ophelia and sorry about your dreadful reactions.

I will if I'm offered it. I've tried to sign up for vaccine trials, but live too far away from any of the trial centres so they don't want me. I trust the scientists to have done the safety testing of any vaccines before they release it into the general population.

I've never had any side effects to any vaccines before, I'm not planning on becoming pregnant again so that's not a worry, so I feel relatively safe with a vaccine. I DON'T feel that safe with catching covid itself, as I'm diabetic with poor control within the past year (this increases risk by the equivalent of 20 years), so I am at relatively high risk of complications if/when I catch it.

@scaevola Strange isn't it? My usually go-to is money, with this govt in particular, but I can't see the financial incentive in reducing their priority (doesn't mean its not there of course!).

Seems odd to say the least, especially as young people are more likely to be economically active. :/

Definitely, I’d have it.

If the government wants schools to stay open then school staff need to be vaccinated. I’ve done my bit throughout the pandemic - teaching from home, key worker provision, teaching face to face classes throughout June and July and going in without protection to teach in crammed classrooms since September, but I would be prepared to go out on strike over this if school staff are not offered the vaccine.

I hope it’s ok to put this here, but it feels pretty relevant to this thread. There’s a petition going about the fact that teachers etc aren’t on for priority vaccines. Worth a shot! I’d definitely have one.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/554316

Assuming it was safe, yes. I can't get a flu vaccine, which is annoying.

Yes I would.
I’m moderate risk.

No, not until we know long-term effects of the vaccine.

I'm vaccinated against pretty much everything, so not an anti-vax issue, but I worry that they will rush something through that has not been sufficiently tested. Already had the virus - wasn't great but not worse than the flu - and no risk factors, so I can "afford" to wait.