What is the MAIN reason to vaccinate heal care providers?

[YellowPostItPad]

Is it to protect their health, to stop them passing it on or to keep the NHS functioning by avoiding them going off sick.
If you have been vaccinated can you still pass it on?
Do you need to self-isolate if you have been vaccinated but are a close contact of a COVID case?
Is there a justification for vaccinating teachers to keep the schools open?

I should add I am a TA in primary.

That should say HEALTH care providers!

Because there is good reason to think that the vaccine will prevent transmission, although this won't be provable until the vaccine is widespread in the community, and health care people are working with those who are the most physically vulnerable to the virus.

from what I gather tens of thousands of HCPs are having to self isolate at the moment either due to be being ill or being a close contact of someone who's ill. If you can sort out the staffing the NHS has a far better chance of riding through this .

Also there is a lot of evidence of people picking covid up at hospital. If all the HCPs are vaccinated then surely there is less chance of this happening.

Listen, it's simple, nobody cares about Covid if people stop dying (like nobody cares about chicken pox). Vaccinating health care workers will stop them infecting vulnerable others or make it less likely to infect them (like with children, no coughing means less spread). Teachers as a GENERAL population don't die more often than others and don't generally work with vulnerable people. That is why the health care workers need to be vaccinated first, and teacgers together with the general population.

All of the above? I think it should be done for teachers too.

Thanks that makes sense.

The question I had was more about keeping schools open rather than to protect teachers health (though obviously that would be a very reassuring side effect of vaccination for me as a TA).

I guess it's too early to know how the new variant, which affects children more often than the old one, will affect rates of closures in school.

I myself have 3 children in GCSE years and they have missed so much school due to self-isolating (both of teachers and themselves). Online teaching is great but not as good as in person.

We have also had bubbles pop at the primary school where I work (it was a child who was positive but of course the teachers and TAs have to self isolate each time) which is why I wondered if you still had to self-isolate as a close contact if you have been vaccinated.

My child had Covid and still has to self isolate, so it would be interesting to see what the vaccine guidelines say around this.

Like you OP, I have two in Gcse years. One has had six isolations now, the other three,. Huge disruption.

I'd like to see teachers prioritised for vaccinations.

Not just teachers, all key school staff, sorry!

Sorry, my child still has to self isolate when children are sent home due to a positive case. Even though he had Covid at the end of Nov, he still had to self isolate as a contact in December when groups, were sent home.

This is because there is not enough known about whether he could be a carrier or contract it again (according to the school's PHE advisor) so surely it's the same with the vaccination?

to keep the NHS functioning by avoiding them going off sick.

This is key

I thought it was to keep the NHS running with enough staff, which is, and needs to be the central goal. Same for care homes, as there's a high chance that there'll be multiple hospitalisations if it gets into a care home.

I'm a teacher too and I think schools are a priority too but to a lesser extent. Children being out of school due to isolation certainly has an impact on the workforce, but doesn't usually have an impact on hospital admissions.

I really do think we need to prioritise health outcomes first and foremost. We know we can reduce mortality by 99% with a complete phase 1 roll out.

@rorosemary

Listen, it's simple, nobody cares about Covid if people stop dying (like nobody cares about chicken pox). Vaccinating health care workers will stop them infecting vulnerable others or make it less likely to infect them (like with children, no coughing means less spread). Teachers as a GENERAL population don't die more often than others and don't generally work with vulnerable people. That is why the health care workers need to be vaccinated first, and teacgers together with the general population.

It wasn't simple to me, that was why I asked. No need to be patronising.

One of the main reasons healthcare workers are being vaccinated, is to prevent wastage. They are delivered a batch of vaccine and have to use it up in a certain time frame. Once the target group (over 80s) are done they use the remaining doses on staff.

@middleager

Not just teachers, all key school staff, sorry!

Yes, apologies. I also meant school staff in general (or those with close contact where their self-isolating would affect provision).

@middleager

Sorry, my child still has to self isolate when children are sent home due to a positive case. Even though he had Covid at the end of Nov, he still had to self isolate as a contact in December when groups, were sent home.

This is because there is not enough known about whether he could be a carrier or contract it again (according to the school's PHE advisor) so surely it's the same with the vaccination?

I wonder is the vaccine more effective than natural infections in producing protection?

@FourTeaFallOut

I really do think we need to prioritise health outcomes first and foremost. We know we can reduce mortality by 99% with a complete phase 1 roll out.

Wow!

@MrsPernicious

One of the main reasons healthcare workers are being vaccinated, is to prevent wastage. They are delivered a batch of vaccine and have to use it up in a certain time frame. Once the target group (over 80s) are done they use the remaining doses on staff.

Yes, and quite often they are finding that they can actually draw six doses from each vial, rather than the expected five. Much better to jab a nearby health care worker with a bonus leftover than pop it in the bin.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/uncategorised/gps-may-be-able-to-get-extra-dose-out-of-pfizer-covid-vaccine-vial/