Why havent they prioritised frontline workers over 60 year olds getting the vaccination?

[tumpymummy]

I totally understand that those with underlying health issues and the elderly needed to be vaccinated first. But what I dont understand is why over 60s are now being vaccinated and frontline workers are not? In less than 2 weeks time all children return to school. Nothing has changed in schools since September, and myself and colleagues will spend our days in small classrooms with 32 children just waiting for the infection and circles of self isolating bubbles to start again. Yet lots of my friends in their early 60s have now been vaccinated. They do not have health issues, a lot of them arent even working. Most of them spend all day at home, not really seeing anyone. Yet frontline workers have spent the last year working, risking their health, for no benefit whatsoever.

@NotExactlyHappyToHelp

I’m a supermarket worker and I’m just happy that my older and vulnerable colleagues are getting vaccinated.

I’m 30 with a healthy BMI and no underlying conditions. I’m absolutely not afraid of catching Covid and statistically incredibly unlikely to have a bad outcome. I am however very frightened of accidentally infecting a colleague who would be much more likely to become poorly.

I’m more than happy to wait at the bottom of the pile for vaccines but this sniping has got to stop. However they did it there would be people who felt it was unfair. Unless they could collectively jab everyone on one day there would be people who felt maligned.

YES. What a refreshingly reasonably and society based response

hellsbells99

@hellsbells99 how much social distancing can be done in a manufacturing plant housing 2,500 people. They just go to work as normal and wear masks and hand sanitise. That’s it really. They don’t have rotas as the place already functions 24/7 with shifts. The economy has to continue

And education has to continue, with teachers that are not rendered unwell to deliver it. 3months schooling in nearly a year is a massive gap (not to mention isolation within the time they were actually in school).
Hopefully the testing at my DCs secondary prior to return will help pick up cases in the 2000+ pupils that will be sitting, possibly unmasked, in lessons.

VaVaGloom totally agree with what you are saying. But that doesn’t make teachers more deserving of a vaccine than other people that are out working. After the over 50s have been done, they should perhaps prioritise people under 50 that are going out to work (shop workers, teachers, any police that haven’t been done, transport workers, factory workers etc etc). But I think the problem is that it becomes a logistics nightmare.

MuddyWalks, I take your point about single parents (topical at work all day yesterday), although loosing a weeks holiday from their 12 week holiday schedule, forgive me, no sympathy. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe for one minute teachers are poolside drinking Pina Coladasor for 12 weeks.

@HopelesslyOptimistic

MuddyWalks, I take your point about single parents (topical at work all day yesterday), although loosing a weeks holiday from their 12 week holiday schedule, forgive me, no sympathy. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe for one minute teachers are poolside drinking Pina Coladasor for 12 weeks.

What is the point about single parents - I’m not quite following ?

@TheKeatingFive just do a few simple searches for long covid media coverage. Estimates from population studies are a %age have LC over 3 months, multiply that by total population who have had Covid.

The minute I see Teachers and not All School Staff you lose my vote. Non teaching staff have been shoring up schools that are open for months now. So much for we’re all in this together.

Long covid isn’t a reason to get bumped up tree vaccine list. End of story. It’s still a very small minority who get a serious case, most people are simply getting post viral fatigue & symptoms. It’ll get better. I’m 9 weeks into post viral flu & I’ve felt really sodding rubbish. But I’ve continued to go to work & look after my children by myself quite often. You just cope & get on with life. I don’t wallow & feel sorry for myself, I just don’t have time!

Posters saying cut INSET days...you realise these are not holidays? They are days spent in continuous professional development so that teachers are being constantly trained to improve the way they teach, so your children receive a better quality of education? Surely of all years, when so many children have had to struggle with home learning, this is not the time to say you don't want teachers being trained in improving what they do?!

OP I am totally with you.

It's not just about age, it's viral load, and teachers probably get the most (apart from health and care workers).

As for the rest of you - wouldn't you rather your kids were being taught by people who are 100% focused on your child - not off sick with long covid/ worrying about their health/ off sick with stress and anxiety? I know I would!

PS when I say 'teachers' I also mean other support staff and nursery staff. I imagine most posters do, it just takes so long to sodding type!

@IrisPurple

PS when I say 'teachers' I also mean other support staff and nursery staff. I imagine most posters do, it just takes so long to sodding type!

Absolutely-I mean school staff when I say teachers, it’s just shorthand.

I think our support staff are usually more at risk than the teachers, to be honest-in my school, they’re mostly older and due to the nature of the role, get closer.

@Lancrelady80

Posters saying cut INSET days...you realise these are not holidays? They are days spent in continuous professional development so that teachers are being constantly trained to improve the way they teach, so your children receive a better quality of education? Surely of all years, when so many children have had to struggle with home learning, this is not the time to say you don't want teachers being trained in improving what they do?!

No I want teachers cracking on and catching up with those kids in most need. I would rather all those teachers sat around training doing group exercises, training can come later.

Doing group exercises with kids in most need.

Once the kids have caught up the teachers then can catch up on their training.

The stats show teachers are at no greater risk than anyone else. Sixty year old workers in meat factories and those in prison are at more risk.

And making the vaccination program more complex will slow it down, which would be counter productive.

[quote Maryann1975]@Howshouldibehave
I agree completely. I’ve got a few friends who work for the nhs in office jobs and have been working at home for months. They have all made it in to the office on vaccination day though! Our Local Authority also did some of the staff who do admin on for the education/early years Sector. Again, when you phone the office, you get a voicemail to say the call is being diverted as all staff are working from home.

It’s not fair! If they can vaccinate the office staff Who are working from home, they should be able to vaccinate those who are dealing with the Public each day!
I’ve had my vaccine, but I won’t stop being annoyed for those who work in early years and education with no protection at all![/quote]
I'm currently working from home. I'm office staff. I'm in my 30s with no underlying conditions. I have had my vaccine due to my job.

On the surface, it may seem like I shouldn't have been prioritised. However, in my organisation I'm one of two people that can be drafted in to cover a range of services. I wasn't willing to travel to other sites without a vaccine. It would be disastrous if certain roles couldn't be covered.

Somebody must think it’s worth prioritising teachers, as surgeries in my area (northern town, cases rising) are actively contacting schools and encouraging school staff to sign up for priority access to spare vaccine slots. Two colleagues (under 50) have appointments tomorrow and a number of others early next week. Hopefully it will mean we don’t get back to the one-teacher-and-one-TA-for-60-kids level we got to before Christmas.

I wasn't willing to travel to other sites without a vaccine.

So you got a vaccine?

Nice that you had that option. No doubt if I wasn’t willing to teach multiple classes, then I would be sacked!

@Howshouldibehave

I wasn't willing to travel to other sites without a vaccine.

So you got a vaccine?

Nice that you had that option. No doubt if I wasn’t willing to teach multiple classes, then I would be sacked!

Yes, I’d say that argument is favourable to professions being vaccinated. It seems pretty ridiculous office staff get them, when the whole point of critical workers is they are all critical *that doesn’t change my view that it should be done by risk of serious health

@LadyVanDijk

Somebody must think it’s worth prioritising teachers, as surgeries in my area (northern town, cases rising) are actively contacting schools and encouraging school staff to sign up for priority access to spare vaccine slots. Two colleagues (under 50) have appointments tomorrow and a number of others early next week. Hopefully it will mean we don’t get back to the one-teacher-and-one-TA-for-60-kids level we got to before Christmas.

That's fantastic!

My daughter starts school in September, and I am genuinely scared about what is going to be left for her. I'm scared there won't be enough teachers and TAs left because they'll be on long term sick or quit. I'm scared those still in work will be too sick, stressed and knackered to educate and develop her, or even keep her safe.

No I want teachers cracking on and catching up with those kids in most need. I would rather all those teachers sat around training doing group exercises, training can come later.
What if the training is on new material to identify and support the kids most in need? Would you prefer teachers just do their own thing with no coordination/ consistency between classes?

@Mintjulia

The stats show teachers are at no greater risk than anyone else. Sixty year old workers in meat factories and those in prison are at more risk.

And making the vaccination program more complex will slow it down, which would be counter productive.

These stats?

@BigBobBoots

No I want teachers cracking on and catching up with those kids in most need. I would rather all those teachers sat around training doing group exercises, training can come later. What if the training is on new material to identify and support the kids most in need? Would you prefer teachers just do their own thing with no coordination/ consistency between classes?

No I want the teachers cracking on. I could opt for a number of excuses why I shouldn't travel into London daily, work on the frontline, but, I don't - I crack on for now. I will re-assess when there is time.

No I want the teachers cracking on

What exactly do you want teachers to do, when you say they need to ‘crack on’?