Are any other teachers considering not returning to work until after they have vaccine...

[RoseTintedAtuin]

And other protections have been provided for them and students?
I have asked my DH not to go back to work in schools until after he has been vaccinated and until measures are in place to allow them to social distance and protect children and staff.
I have seen many threads of parents who simply cannot cope without their children attending schools and I understand this (and ideally would support schools being open in a safe manner). However the right to education for children does not trump the right to be safe at work.
I feel we as a society have failed teachers and pupils by allowing/expecting them to continue to work in an unsustainable manner throughout this pandemic.
I do not want my DH to be at risk, and I wonder how many other teachers/spouses of teachers are feeling the same? Are any others considering leaving the profession even temporarily until their safety is made more of a consideration?

How old is your husband? They predict it will take until may to vaccinate the over 65's. Will he be signed off sick until then?!

Will you accept being furloughed and a cap on your wage/not being paid a wage at all during that time? Probably not? I don't know a single primary school teacher who has caught it from
Their students.....

I get behind wanting teachers to be pushed up the vaccine schedule, but unless your husband is willing to take an unpaid career break why should what you're proposing be acceptable? Why is every other front facing sector expendable in your opinion?

I dont have a choice really, I'm only 31 and healthy so no chance of a vaccination until probably September (if I'm lucky). There's no way I'd get paid for that so we wouldn't be able to pay the mortgage or bills.

When I look at the data and 12-16 year olds are the most likely to bring covid into a house hold it worries me a lot, as thats the age group I'm working with all day everyday. But there is simply no other option. Bills must be paid.

No. I wouldn't be paid. According to one website, there are between 27-38 million people before me to have the vaccine. It estimates I'll get it between January and July 2022 .

I can't be out of work unpaid for that long.

DH is mid 50’s, not extremely vulnerable but has had health issues with thyroid and is on medication. He would not be furloughed, it would need to be a career break with no pay (unless he changed career) which would hopefully be manageable on my wage/savings but obviously increases risk if anything were to happen to my job. I’ve previously felt worried for him but at this point it’s starting to shift to real fear and that this is the time to do the extraordinary (would never normally contemplate him not working) for the sake of his health.

I guess I was wondering how many others are having similar conversations and how many teachers a feeling forced to go into a potentially dangerous situation in order to put food on the table

I'm in line to vaccinated some time before September apparently, unless I've had the vaccine already (I'm in a trial)
I'd be happier if we could have masks for all in the classrooms, and a few weeks of rotas until the rates start dropping, and proper regular testing (not the unreliable lateral flow used to stop contacts isolating)

@SarcasmQueen I really feel for you. It adds an unhealthy dose of stress to an already terrible situation.

@KatherineOfGaunt

No. I wouldn't be paid. According to one website, there are between 27-38 million people before me to have the vaccine. It estimates I'll get it between January and July 2022 .

I can't be out of work unpaid for that long.

@KatherineOfGaunt sorry which website is it ? I’m 35 and according to one I got jume-sept 21.

No because I’m 26 and probably won’t be vaccinated until September or later!

My sister is a teacher and is low risk, 29 years old, but she’s not happy with the way things are at her very large secondary school. She requested to her school that she wanted to go off without pay. This was back in March and teachers at her school were still going in for key workers. She looks after our grand dad and was petrified of giving the virus to him. Her work allowed this arrangement until September.
In September they basically said they will end her contract if she doesn’t come back. She’s been back since. However, now she is planning to go off with stress for at least 6 months as they are being deliberately unreasonable with her. If she goes off with stress it will be full pay as well, so really the school have lost out as she was willing to stay off without pay as long as they didn’t end her contract.
She’s financially stable as she doesn’t have a mortgage to pay or bills. Though her wage did help with “extras”. Her DH is in a very decent, well paid job, she worked as a teacher only because she is actually an outstanding teacher/head of dept and has really helped that school get decent results when they were struggling so much.

I’ve stepped back from teaching in the classroom full time because of lupus and fibromyalgia. It was badly controlled when I was first diagnosed and I have taken on other teaching and education work- I made that decision in July 2019 after getting pneumonia at Easter 2019 that left me very weakened. I now feel very fortunate that I did as I am more vulnerable to Covid as I’ve have had pneumonia in the last two years so my lungs are weakened. However I could only afford to do that as DH is a frontline teacher and he’s still at risk/might bring it home as may my two primary school kids. However, I am safer than I would have been and feel fortunate that I was in a position to prioritise my health. Not all are this lucky and I have many friends and former colleagues who are not in a position to leave their teaching jobs because of being the main breadwinner, even though they have conditions that make them CEV.

It’s terrible that this government have put teachers in this position. Schools need to be safe and teachers need vaccines.

@EreLongDoneDoDoesDid I’m very glad that you managed to re-position yourself and completely agree that the government has left teachers in an terrible position. All the teachers I know have the strongest moral character and I feel that is being manipulated to the detriment of their health (and their families)

@EasterIssland

This one - www.omnicalculator.com/health/vaccine-queue-uk

I thought I did this same one a week or two ago and it said estimated vaccine around July this year. But now I seem to have jumped down the list.

I'm 39, no other conditions.

@year5teacher

No because I’m 26 and probably won’t be vaccinated until September or later!

Probably later! I'm 39 and the website I posted above says estimated Jan-July next year. So you'll be much further down unless you've any underlying conditions.

[quote KatherineOfGaunt]@EasterIssland

This one - www.omnicalculator.com/health/vaccine-queue-uk

I thought I did this same one a week or two ago and it said estimated vaccine around July this year. But now I seem to have jumped down the list.

I'm 39, no other conditions.[/quote]
Thanks ! Same as me. I was summer and now I’m 2022

I'm group 6.

I was march/April and now June to September.

I assume it's because of them changing the vaccine schedule to 12 weeks between jabs.

[quote KatherineOfGaunt]@EasterIssland

This one - www.omnicalculator.com/health/vaccine-queue-uk

I thought I did this same one a week or two ago and it said estimated vaccine around July this year. But now I seem to have jumped down the list.

I'm 39, no other conditions.[/quote]
What did yours say? Mines now saying between jan-2022 and July 2022. that can’t be right.

Oh gosh it gets worse.

Thank god the nhs and supermarket and all other essential workers don't think like this.

Oh yes... 2022 for me now too. Brilliant

It’s not the official website and this could change depending on the decisions ... so let’s hope the reality is not what it’s predicted in the website !

I'm considering handing my notice in.

I have an immediate family member suffering from long covid, no existing health conditions and one of the healthiest, most active people I knew prior to this. Their career and life is unrecognisable from what is was. Long covid is what people with no underlying health conditions should really fear. It's brutal.

Two other elderly family members have died.

We were going to ttc this year and I can't believe that instead I'm at the point where I'm now considering quitting a job I have worked so hard for. I don't want to play roulette with my health.

@RoseTintedAtuin

DH is mid 50’s, not extremely vulnerable but has had health issues with thyroid and is on medication. He would not be furloughed, it would need to be a career break with no pay (unless he changed career) which would hopefully be manageable on my wage/savings but obviously increases risk if anything were to happen to my job. I’ve previously felt worried for him but at this point it’s starting to shift to real fear and that this is the time to do the extraordinary (would never normally contemplate him not working) for the sake of his health.

I have thyroid issues too and am medicated (mid 40s so a bit younger than your DH). The British Thyroid Association are confident that thyroid issues don't put you at any greater risk of severe illness, even if it's Hashimotos that caused the thyroid problem as it is with me. I know that doesn't fix any of your other concerns but thought it might offer a tiny chink of reduced worry.

Government should put teachers at the top with other key workers.