Headteachers proposal

[DfEisashambles]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9179961/Headteachers-send-Boris-Johnson-plan-vaccinate-one-million-staff-half-term.html

Headteachers proposed a blueprint to vaccinate all teachers and staff so that pupils can go back after Feb half term. Ministers yet to respond.

Interesting, it won't be after half term though, it's 3 weeks for the vaccine immunity to kick in. Sounds good though! Promising.

Fingers crossed.

The thing is, if infections are rife among pupils, you then spread it to the adults in their families. The teachers might be okay, but the infection rate for the rest of us gets supercharged. I think the headteachers haven’t thought this through!

The fatal flaw in that is that it won't lead to the reopening of schools.

That will happen when community transmission is under control, taking the pressure off the NHS.

So by diverting away from the programme of vaccinating those most likely to fall severely ill, you slow the reduction of pressure in the NHS and prolong lockdown. Schools are a vector for community transmission, because of pupils taking it home to their households. Until the more vulnerable are protected, that vector role for schools is a risk too far

I'm desperate to get vaccinated and back in the classroom but I worry that my students won't feel safe enough to come back because they won't be vaccinated. I teach 16+ so lots of adults too

Great idea. Let the ones who are vulnerable and want to continue homeschooling carry on and the rest of us get our kids back to the classroom! 🤞

@Bvop

The thing is, if infections are rife among pupils, you then spread it to the adults in their families. The teachers might be okay, but the infection rate for the rest of us gets supercharged. I think the headteachers haven’t thought this through!

This x 1000.

This is really awful for parents and the wider community.

I despair at the stupidity of this country.

@Bvop

The thing is, if infections are rife among pupils, you then spread it to the adults in their families. The teachers might be okay, but the infection rate for the rest of us gets supercharged. I think the headteachers haven’t thought this through!

Yes, great in theory but if it’s true kids are superspreaders 🙄 then community transmission will not improve with this plan.

Schools are closed to protect teachers they’re closed to reduce community transmission. So this doesn’t make sense.
I agree teachers should be vaccinated as a priority though prior to schools reopening.

Hope so!

The thing is, if infections are rife among pupils, you then spread it to the adults in their families. The teachers might be okay, but the infection rate for the rest of us gets supercharged. I think the headteachers haven’t thought this through!

Exactly.

It may make the teachers less at risk, but what about all the parents of the children who are in school?

If children are such super asymptomatic spreaders then their parents of those children need the same level of protection that the teachers get.

Aren’t closed no are

They could also ask for all students and staff to do pcr tests before the return... Pcr are much better than LFT. They can ask you for proof of negatives before letting people on site.. Must do cooks as well, staff.. Then go to LFT

I thought this had already been rejected. It won't reduce community transmission and won't reduce pressure on the nhs. In fact quite the opposite.

It won't do anything about community infection rate but this government haven't shown much due care on that when sending schools back before.
It makes sense- if, as a country, we say we prioritise education and schools opening then we have to prioritise vaccinating the workforce.
Same as hospitals and care homes. We don't know if vaccines actually prevent transmission so we aren't vaccinating healthcare staff to protect their patients from catching it from them - the vaccine could just as easily lead to more asymptomatic healthcare staff not knowing they have it and actually spreading it more if it turns out it doesn't prevent transmission. We're vaccinating them despite not knowing that to protect them from longterm sickness and to keep the system going because we need the NHS. We need the staff well (and they deserve protection but that probably isn't the government reason).
If we want schools as our second priority after NHS we have to transfer that principle to education staff and vaccinate them. To keep the system going we have to protect its workforce.
Or, not open schools yet - much more sense epidemiologically but not educationally.

@ThornAmongstRoses

The thing is, if infections are rife among pupils, you then spread it to the adults in their families. The teachers might be okay, but the infection rate for the rest of us gets supercharged. I think the headteachers haven’t thought this through!

Exactly.

It may make the teachers less at risk, but what about all the parents of the children who are in school?

If children are such super asymptomatic spreaders then their parents of those children need the same level of protection that the teachers get.

How about we let parents decide what level of risk they would be prepared to accept. It's not a life threatening illness for the vast majority of people who get it and once those at risk of getting seriously ill are vaccinated we need to start getting some perspective.

Wouldn't the adults in their families already be at risk if the children are spreading the virus? Is it not the adults passing it on to the children?

@VikingVolva

The fatal flaw in that is that it won't lead to the reopening of schools.

That will happen when community transmission is under control, taking the pressure off the NHS.

So by diverting away from the programme of vaccinating those most likely to fall severely ill, you slow the reduction of pressure in the NHS and prolong lockdown. Schools are a vector for community transmission, because of pupils taking it home to their households. Until the more vulnerable are protected, that vector role for schools is a risk too far

Exactly what VikingVolva said. Guess I shouldn't be surprised that a bunch of headteachers are so ignorant. Schools weren't closed or open because they're 'safe' or 'not safe', it's because of the effect on community transmission.

@ThornAmongstRoses

If children are such super asymptomatic spreaders then their parents of those children need the same level of protection that the teachers get.

Agree 100%. I don’t disagree that teachers should be prioritised but surely to do that without vaccinating parents puts a whole chunk of the population at risk.

I know lots of folk say “The risk to me is low; I’ll take my chances” but I don’t actually want long covid or to be one of those unlucky poor souls who die. The moment our kids go back to school all bets are off, especially with the new variants.

How would that make it possible for schools to reopen? The problem lies in the children spreading it between themselves and taking it home to vulnerable family members. I agree it would be great if staff had the vaccine and educe their likelihood of getting infected, but there is no way that would open the way for schools to reopen.

It is slightly disturbing that head teachers - who are supposed to be intelligent - are proposing this and show so little grasp of the facts of covid life.

“Under the emergency scheme, 150 independent schools and state academies would become vaccination hubs with medically trained staff inoculating school workers for 16 hours a day.”

Er..... 150?

Would these vaccines not have to be diverted from older and clinically vulnerable types that are more likely to die or be hospitalised if they got Covid?

Because if so, that’s a terrible idea.

Slight flaws -

1. The vaccine takes three weeks to kick in.
2. What about community spread to vulnerable parents and Grandparents?

This is a few renegade heads by the look of it.

You realise this proposal has come from the heads of private schools, not state? Any backing from the unions? No? Hmmm, wonder why not . . .