Vaccine Priority: Teachers or Police

[Peachered]

Only posting in AIBU for the voting (and I have simplified a massively complex issue) but hypothetically if an employment group was to have priority who do you think should be prioritised:

YABU - teachers should have vaccine priority
YANBU - police should have vaccine priority

(voting options don't reflect my preference necessarily).

And, should either of these groups have priority over those on the flu vaccine list (so pre-existing conditions but not CEV)...

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Apparently in some places police have been getting the vaccine to stop wastage at the end of the day. This is because some over 80s have been declaring they want the England vaccine not the American one

And where have you heard this?

Surely both should get it?

I voted teachers as they are not allowed masks but vaccination should be optional for both groups.

I think all public service personnel should be above anyone who is retired, ie able to stay at home without loss of income. Teachers and police should be at the same level, right behind nhs staff.

There should be sub groups within the categories. DS2 respite facility has had the vaccine yet his special school staff who provide the same care haven’t. The same with the police should be public facing.

Neither. The vulnerable (those with health issues) should be offered the vaccine as it lessens the effects should they catch covid19. Most healthy people won’t suffer greatly with covid19 and the vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission.

I'd probably do over 50s then exposed professions like they are doing in France I believe.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Apparently in some places police have been getting the vaccine to stop wastage at the end of the day. This is because some over 80s have been declaring they want the England vaccine not the American one

What is your source for this??

I'm a police officer and definitely think my front line colleagues deserve to be a priority for the vaccination (not so much office based dinosaurs like me).

There are currently 1300 officers sick or self isolating in London - a scary number.

That's not to say that teachers don't deserve to be a priority of course.

Teachers. Schools need to be reliably open so kids can be educated. Police officers can socially distance, wear masks and work at least partially outdoors. They’re dealing with people on an individual basis and aren’t exposed to groups of 30 people in a confined space.

I still have frontline NHS colleagues who have not been vaccinated. They will get it by mid Feb (peads).

I am going to sit on the fence and say I hope both groups also get done by then.

I agree about supermarket workers too, I was thinking today how at risk they are and how much I appreciate what they do.

How about both?

I do think that CV and ECV frontline workers (including police, nursery workers and teachers) should be bumped up the queue - so those in groups 4 and 6 who are working on the frontline currently should get it above the living independently elderly who, whilst also vulnerable, can stay at home unlike frontline ECV and CV workers.

I'm a high risk over 50 teacher. I say police. Why did you choose these two careers in particular, OP? 🤔

Can police with small children work if they can't send dc to school!

I'm a teacher and I think police. Police are surely more likely to transmit to other adults, whereas I can mostly stay at home and away from vulnerable/ older people.

@Justcallmecaptainobvious

Who is this going to help OP? There is a huge amount of division in society at the moment, why are you trying to create more?

Very good point

Teachers. Police just get on with it and don't moan . (Joking)

Firefighters should also be on the list. The amount they assist the ambulance service in lifting people etc, lots of up close and personal

I think teachers. Not because they are necessarily more at risk but because vaccinating teachers will ensure schools are in thus keeping the economy from stagnating.

I have voted YABU but that is for selfish reasons - I want kids to get back to school!

But....children can be kept safe while schools are shut and the police don’t have that option.....so it should really be police first but teachers straight after/at the same time.

Teachers sit inside an unventilated room with 30 people who are unlikely to even have symptoms if they catch it. Of course they are at far more risk.

Surely it makes most sense to look at accurate data on which groups are the ones most at risk, rather than ask people online who know nothing about either job but are convinced they do to argue about it.

The data would need very sophisticated modelling though, for ages, ethnicity, children, particular role within the organisation.
It probably is easier to do based on clinical need and then societal need.

We're just moving this over to our Covid topic

SEN teachers.

Did someone say police can social distance 🤣🤣🤣

More likely to have to man handle a criminal than a 4 year old.

@londongirl12 you are right during this whole thing I have barely seen a police officer complain even during the Riots in the middle of the pandemic.