To want to know when school staff and children are going to have Covid vaccinations

[F1ftyF1fty]

I work in a primary school. I have dc in school.

Given the current surge I frankly don’t want to return to school next week and sit in a squashed classroom amongst 30 children all day without PPE or social distancing. I don’t want my dc in a similar environment.

There is now a vaccine but my age group seem to be way down the list. Surely school staff and children should be higher up the list and at the very least have some indication of when they will be vaccinated.

It is not my decission, but that is my thinking:

Stop the spread (vaccine high contact groups first)- protect the vulnerable (vaccine)- then the rest (more vaccines)

Why would we vaccinate teachers before those in phase one of the vaccine roll out when they comprise the 99% of those who are dying and the vast majority of those who are taking hospital beds?

Regarding the vaccines done so far, well I have been told by people having it booked as NHS staff. Happy for them.
If the goverment can no longer follow their own list, then... But I do have my doubts about that. Anyway, even if delayed, the priority will remain. Even with a desorganised lot.

@MushMonster you realise that teachers make up just 7% of the school population right? And that vaccinating teachers will not stop the spread?? If your worried about schools spreading, then you need to vaccinate families of school kids (considering kids can’t be vaccinated yet).

I’ve clearly advocated for vaccinating teachers, but not until real priority group have been vaccinated first.

But surely schools need to be shut until staff can be vaccinated. Is it all nhs staff in the first phase?

I am pro vaccinating children. I have said so earlier in the thread.
Apparently, they do need further tests to approve the vaccine for children. Which I think they should do ASAP.

The question about PPE in the classroom was asked. Guidance stated that we should not wear masks to teach (although I believe that was quietly dropped in a later set of guidance- I may be wrong).
However, we are told that children should still not wear masks in classrooms. So I wear a mask- my headteacher recommends that we all do- but the 32 children facing me do not. My masks protects them from me, but not vice versa.
When my class bubble burst at the end of term, I had to spend hours thinking about where the infected child had gone, who they sat with, played with it possibly stood next to in a line. Within 1 metre for less than a minute- that’s a tough call when thinking about 12 hours of classroom life.
These are children who would be required to wear a mask in shops, on buses...anywhere other than my classroom.

No one is going to vaccinate a child for something they rarely get so much of a sniffle from

I’m 40s no underlying and I think it’ll be stopped before I get it

I expect it’ll go to those eligible for flu then not be needed

First phase is highly vulnerable, NHS and care workers as per latest news I watched.

I think it would be better to prioritise older and at risk school staff, public facing NHS and other keyworkers rather than all NHS staff.

ATM, as far as I'm aware there are non plans to prioritise school staff at all.

@MushMonster I’m trying not to be unkind here, but you’re very ill informed. Almost no English care homes at all have received the vaccine, just take a look at @rightsforresidents on Twitter for an idea. Like I said, we lost a relative in their 80s to Covid this week whose vaccination wasn’t scheduled until the end of Jan. I’m happy for NHS staff too, but I’m not happy that so many others are being left behind.

Very happy for teaching staff to be first in line if they want the vaccine - would make sense if it alleviated fear, reduced risk of them getting sick with it, helped keep schools open.

No way am I consenting to my child having it. It's not been tested on children for starters. Children don't get sick with CV, and the vaccine does nothing to prevent you from transmitting it.

@MushMonster the key difference with this vaccine is that the government and manufacturers themselves have said it doesn't work to reduce transmission, just to reduce the effects if you do catch it. So vaccinating children is pointless and unnecessary

@F1ftyF1fty

Some NHS staff are at less risk then many teachers and support staff.

Yes, but NHS staff mostly have the vaccine to protect those they work with (the vulnerable, mostly), in the hope that it reduces the chance of them passing it on to them (not proved but likely enough and the same reason we have the flu vaccines given to HCPs) and also possibly because it would reduce the number of staff being off isolating or ill (which means those vulnerable people get better/faster treatment).

Population vaccination is done on population level risks, not individuals.

While vaccinating teachers would protect them individually, plus also keeping schools open due to not having lots of staff off isolating. These are good things, but neither directly reduce the burden on the NHS or number of vulnerable people getting ill (it would, indirectly, due to reduced transmission, but not as significantly).
There's a reason the JCVI chose the priority list we have. Other countries, however, have included teachers in their earlier priority schedules (Russia, at least have I believe) so it would be interesting to compare the rationales.

I don't disagree that vaccinating teachers would be helpful, but more in a 'keep society functioning' way rather than a 'reducing hospital admissions' way.

As a HCP, I will be getting mine this week. If it were just to protect me I'd rather not have it (or the flu vaccine I have every year) as I am low risk and other people are further down the list than me who would likely be in greater need as individuals. But me having it protects the people I work with, both by me being (hopefully) less likely to give them covid and also by me being there rather than off sick with it.

But that is not my fault and has nothing to do with me, if they have delays.
That list is set, they have to work through it.
Now I am talking about the next lot.
High contact- more vulnerable (younger lots)- rest. My opinion.
I am informed as far as my RL knowledge of what is going around me happens.
NHS are getting their vaccines in Jan.
They have their bookings, and already got some of them.
You are informed on your area. Good for you! But I have a right to an opinion.

People don't follow the science. Nursery children are the least likely to get or transmit covid of any group. Yet people talk about worrying close contact with thst age group.

Primary children don't get the vaccine as they don't get sick from covid

They are far less likely to develop symptoms or pass the virus on. This has been openly confirmed by sage and many studies. . You wouldn't knwi this from the hysterical teaching unions and mainstream media.

Children don't get sick from covid but are treated like dirty disease ridden beasts.

They should have been allowed to keep socialising and living normal lives all along

Children don't need to be vaccinated as they don't get sick from covid.

As someone has said the reality is most people under 50 don't need the vaccine

You are right that primary children do not transmit it in large numbers, but cases amonst secondary have risen very sharply. Also, around the time this new variant is around. Most likely because they are sitting closely together. More than the rest of us.

@Writerandreader

People don't follow the science. Nursery children are the least likely to get or transmit covid of any group. Yet people talk about worrying close contact with thst age group.

Primary children don't get the vaccine as they don't get sick from covid

They are far less likely to develop symptoms or pass the virus on. This has been openly confirmed by sage and many studies. . You wouldn't knwi this from the hysterical teaching unions and mainstream media.

Children don't get sick from covid but are treated like dirty disease ridden beasts.

They should have been allowed to keep socialising and living normal lives all along

Do you work in a school?

Surely you realise children attend schools full of staff and go home to families.

It's not only about the risk to children.

But Cat lots of NHS workers are not in direct contact with the vulnerable.

At this rate, all the children in secondary and their families will be immune before we get the vaccine!

I am patient facing and have literally no idea when i and my colleagues will have the jab .

We work in an specialty where patients wont or don't , distance , wear masks , or sanitise .

@F1ftyF1fty

But Cat lots of NHS workers are not in direct contact with the vulnerable.

Can you share some examples?

Office staff, any non face to face staff, those who should be doing face to face but aren’t....

@Doublefaced i think pp is meaning admin roles.

However as with the twice weekly testing we are having as NHS workers , this is only done for patient facing roles initially, and i don't doubt the vaccine will be the same .

I mean I would be fairly angry right now if a PA to a Consultant got the vaccine right now before i did (as someone who works with covid positive patients)