Teachers should be considered front line candidates for COVID-19 vaccinations

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No idea what data she's referring to, so I have no opinion on this as of now.

 

They are in the category right behind Healthcare and 65+.

 

Strippers should get priority tbh. They are the forgotten few who keep this country together. They come in contact with parents too.

 

Sounds about right to me, and I teach (but not those germ-laden K-12 tots).

 

Agreed. Teachers for the most part I know of are on the wait list even here in Texas where our state government hates public school teachers. So it's most likely just an issue with Supply at this point.

The numbers came in earlier today where Texas ranks at the near bottom in % of population vaccinated. Even behind California and Florida which are the two comparables that matter.

So yes, I think for many reasons Teachers should be front of the line (old people can stay home for a few months, teachers cannot, etc), but the issue is Texas' failure to distribute the supply of vaccines in general.

 

A few things. The average age of teachers is 43, which put them in the 40-49 age group. Presumably, old people have already been staying home. 65-74 year-olds are still dying at a rate 22 times higher than the 40-49 age group according to CDC numbers. I'm not sure if I agree with your math there.

Saying that a vaccine is a prerequisite seems like it would be much more controversial, as that would essentially recommend every school in the country should immediately close...even the 50% of schools that have been fully open since the fall. It clearly should not and does not need to be a prerequisite. Recommended? Certainly.

 

There is a growing amount of evidence showing that school, especially elementary and middle schools are not super spreaders and in fact have a low rate of infection. We saw this in Europe first and it has been substantiated with most of the data and studies since then.

This is being blown out of proportion. They are putting teachers high in the pool, and they are being put in the pool with what other essential workers.

The data shows that there are certain groups of people that should be given priority within the essential worker classification.

 

There is plenty of data that schools are not a major player in spreading covid. But there is also some data that schools is a major player (in UK). UK data was released mid-late dec so maybe the new variant play a part. Or maybe it’s unique to UK schools.

Anyhow, the statement seems to be missing a key requirement. The CDC has guidelines for safe school reopening and many schools requires funding to implement them (including ventilation, rapid testing)... that’s probably lost somewhere in the communication as that has been a consistent statement from the Biden covid team.

 

I'd agree with you if Texas had a lower positive rate. Texas still has a 7 day positive rate above 16%. The risk to teachers and child care workers is really high in Texas right now. And if a teacher tests positive, you have to shut down the class. Some schools have literally cycled through teachers because they keep getting infected.

Here in Minnesota, teachers and child care workers are getting vaccines now and our positive rate is about to go below 3%. I want schools to fully reopen so I'm all for vaccinating teachers and limiting their risk. I feel somewhat optimistic here. I feel none of that optimism about Texas.

 

Lots of states have already put teachers in the first group

 

Depends if your goal is to save lives or reduce cases. Both are admirable goals, but there are different strategies involved. Vaccinated the people that are highest risk of dying might result in higher case numbers, but more quickly solve hospitalization and death issues and largely have more mild cases. Vaccinating potential super-spreaders first helps get the pandemic under control more quickly, but also likely increases total deaths.

Different states seem to approaching the issue differently, and I'm not really sure there's a "right" answer here. Texas is working to reduce deaths, and I'd probably say I think it's the strategy I'd pick.

Texas is also right around the national average in getting doses provided converted into doses administered.

 

Through all of this since last September, schools have proven to not really be major sources of spread. The "why" is a bit of mystery (possibly with kids not getting sick, maybe they can spread it but don't at a very high level) but that's what the data shows us. I believe research in Europe has had similar results in that regard.

 

First, I trust Dr. Fauci on this issue and he believes that schools can be safely reopened.

The data shows that schools are not large scale spreaders, the CDC has been researching the issue and multiple studies show that schools are not posing the same risk as other places. Indeed elementary schools especially have shown to be minimal risks. The order relates to K-8th grade.

There have been many school districts open already with only minimal problems. Also all of the research is showing that remote learning is a detriment to students. We need to get everyone back in school as soon as we can safely do so.

Second, teachers are already designated as priority 1B, which is the second highest priority. The only group higher are medical workers and those that are over 65, which have a vastly higher chance of dying from the virus. It isn't as if they are vaccinating everyone before teachers.

Third, only 30 million doses have been administered thus far, roughly 10% of the country. It isn't as if there are 100 million doses sitting there that the teachers can take.

Fourth, this is yet another effort by local teacher unions to try and get additional benefits. People work every day and are in risk of getting the virus. People in retail are constantly around strangers and in buildings full of people. People in restaurants are at risk as are many other professions. If the risk for schools has been shown to be manageable then they don't deserve any special treatment which is exactly what they are asking for.

As more vaccinations become available teachers will get them, and they may even be made mandatory.

 

Teachers get 4 months of vacation a year -- that is more than enough time to get over covid.

 

Of course they can be safely reopened. But Texas has a test positivity rate of 16%. I live in a state with a rate of 3%. Teachers here are safer by orders of magnitude here.

Texas can't have it both ways. Either do the work to get the positive rate down and then open schools or continue to fail but have the schools close. A positive rate that high just creates too many risks for teachers getting covid and by extension shutting classes down. Schools can't operate in an environment like that.

If you're going to mandate schools open with an infection rate that high, vaccinate them. Here we are ramping up vaccination of teachers, we have daily covid testing on site at all schools for teachers and staff, and most schools got funding to improve ventilation and other safety measures.

There's a right way and a wrong way to open schools and in my opinion Texas firmly falls in the latter category.

 

Not sure. Our schools require shots for measles, etc. so I think people will understand as a pre-req, and schools shouldn't have to just shut down before every single person gets a shot.

I know the stats show much higher death rates for over 65 than for the average teacher age, but I believe it's more important for our economy and for our way of life to return faster. What is happening with younger children missing school or missing more normal school has been detrimental to children, and it's also delaying the younger workforce from graduating and going into the workforce. It also keeps people who rely on school's as childcare so they can work from going back to work.

I know it's a bit heartless to the over 65 population, but I think vaccinating teachers is the key to really unlocking parts of our economy that are stuck on hold. The over 65 population needs to be vaccinated more for public health and overwhelming our hospital system so it's definitely a no win situation to pick and choose one over the other, but I just feel like the urgency to get teachers vaccinated is a bit understated in it's importance.

 

I am not specifically talking about Texas, I am talking about the USA as a whole and the CDC guidelines.

If the state of Texas wants to enact their own rules they can do so.

The research shows that schools (and I believe this order is directed primarily at K-8) are less likely to be super spreaders than other environments. It doesn't matter if it Texas or Delaware or Illinois.

Schools also likely will have the option of going back to remote learning if the infection rate becomes a problem.

As far as ramping up vaccinations in Texas specifically, that sounds like something the governor should be doing.

There are many things that the governor of Texas can do that other states have done, including those things that you have listed.

The problem isn't the CDC, the problem is the governor of Texas that Texans found fit for office.

Also, in the state of Texas there are many workers that are in worse spreader situations through work and there is no outrage. The outrage is coming from teacher unions across the USA.

I personally believe that teachers are under paid, even Biden has stated is much, but I do not agree with the constant complaining and special treatment that teacher unions seem to think they deserve.