Ccsd Will Not Mandate Vaccines
The Calgary Catholic School District said it strongly supports vaccination to reduce the threats and concerns of COVID-19 but it will not mandate vaccines for staff.
“At this point, CCSD will not make vaccines mandatory for teachers or school staff. Vaccination, together with rapid testing, can help us further protect our students and staff,” the district said in an email.
It said the school district has received a supply of rapid testing kits that are available as an option for every CCSD staff member to test themselves weekly until Christmas.
“We are hopeful that the government of Alberta will continue to provide rapid testing kits and other resources and support to school districts.”
Schools Have Opened Without Vaccinated Staff
Many smaller or wealthier districts have opened for in-person learning this year, before vaccines were developed. But most large districts serving poorer populations have remained all or mostly remote into the second semester.
The challenges are myriad in those places. Large districts often serve mostly Black and Latino families who have been hit hardest by the virus and are also more likely to keep their children at home than white families. Buildings are older and require ventilation upgrades in many cases. Classrooms are smaller, which makes physical distancing more difficult depending on how many students show up.
The latest CDC data shows schools that opened in person and embraced universal masking, small student groups and some physical distance had limited spread of COVID-19.
Teachers union pushback to reopening largely centers on a lack of trust that all districts, especially large ones, can dutifully follow such mitigation strategies.
In-person school can be safe:CDC reports how schools with little COVID-19 spread are making it work
That’s what’s happening in Chicago. Some of the city’s schools had reopened for the youngest students and those with special needs earlier this month. But as the Feb. 1 date approached for opening more K-8 classrooms to traditional students, a narrow majority of union members voted to return to all-remote work until an agreement on safety measures could be reached.
Contributing: Grace Hauck in Chicago
Why Are Coronavirus Variants Like Omicron And Delta Serious
A new study shows omicron is four times more transmissible than the delta variant, which was considered the most contagious of the variants identified so far, according to the WHO, but omicron tests are still underway and guidance could change. It’s too early to tell how dangerous the omicron variant is at this time, though symptoms so far appear mild. It is understood to have more mutations than the delta variant.
Both variants are spreading among both the vaccinated and unvaccinated population, though hospitalizations, serious illness and death are less likely to occur in those who are fully vaccinated. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the CDC, on Friday said nearly 80% of the confirmed omicron cases in the US are fully vaccinated, with about a third also having received a booster.
Read Also: Can I Get A Tdap Shot At Cvs
Washington Teachers Now Eligible For Covid
Washington state teachers and childcare workers are now among those who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Jay Inslee announced.
Inslee said Tuesday afternoon that educators and licensed childcare workers are moving up to Washington’s Phase 1B-Tier 1 immediately.
While teachers and educators can start making appointments right away, the state’s Phase Finder tool may take time to update.
Before Tuesday’s announcement, Inslee had been promoting a reopening of classrooms with several visits to schools with in-person learning, while teachers’ unions have been calling for districts to pause school classroom reopenings, with teacher access to the vaccine as a major health and safety issue.
Inslee previously resisted moving teachers up in priority, saying that the state needed to focus on ensuring enough vaccines for health care workers and people over 65, who have been more susceptible to serious illness or death from COVID-19. More than 20 other states, including Oregon, have already allowed teachers to get vaccinated.
That changed Tuesday when President Joe Biden and to get every educator and child care worker at least one shot of a vaccine by the end of March. Biden also announced that by May, the U.S. will have enough vaccine available to any adult who chooses to get the shot.
RELATED: Biden to states: Prioritize vaccinating teachers
The Washington Education Association thanked Biden for the change in guidance.
Inslee called it “good news.”
School Staff Included In List Of People Slated To Be Vaccinated At The End Of Phase 2 Of Ontarios Vaccine Rollout
Michele Henrytimer
Ontarios teachers will likely have to wait until June to receive their shot at protection against COVID-19.
As part of its Phase 2 rollout released Friday, the Ford government has decreed that, by and large, its sticking with its strategy to vaccinate those in older age groups first and hot spots second, while, relegating teachers, as well as other first responders to the back of this most current lineup.
School staff, the plan says, at both elementary and secondary levels, which presumably includes teachers, join firefighters, police, special constables, foster care workers, manufacturers, farm workers and funeral workers, in a new group called Cannot work from home. These roughly 2.5 million people are slated to be vaccinated according to the plan, just before Phase 3.
That, the plan says, will keep workers safe and protect essential services.
Retired Gen. Rick Hillier, head of Ontarios vaccine task force, said at a news conference Friday that the province is aiming to complete a first round of COVID-19 vaccinations by June 20 for every eligible person who wants it. The new date speeds up previous targets.
Since early January, experts around the world, as well as U.S. President Joe Biden, and Ontarios teachers unions, have decreed that teachers, as well as education workers, who likewise come into contact with students every day, should get priority for the vaccine.
Recommended Reading: Does Cvs Do Tdap Shots
Covid 19 Delta Outbreak: Principal Hopes ‘like Hell’ Teachers Will Get Vaccine
Covid-19 made a return to the South Island on Saturday as 104 community cases of Covid-19 were reported including two under 12’s in Northland. Video / NZ Herald
by Sam Olley of RNZ
Northland principals are noting “major” concerns that the Covid-19 vaccine mandates are driving out irreplaceable staff.
Te Tai Tokerau Principals’ Association president Pat Newman said six Northland schools had reported problems of vaccine-hesitant colleagues to the association, but he suspected that was just the “the tip of the iceberg”.
He has also faced hesitancy among staff at his own school, Hora Hora Primary, in Whangrei.
Where Teachers Are Required To Get Vaccinated Against Covid
This page will be updated when new information becomes available.
High teacher vaccination rates are widely considered by public health experts to be a key component of keeping schools safely open for in-person instruction. State policymakers, buoyed by the fact the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine has full FDA approval, are considering whether to mandate that teachers get the shot.
Two states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have ordered all teachers to get vaccinated. Another eight states have said teachers must get vaccinated or undergo regular testing. On Dec. 2, New Mexico updated its vaccine-or-test rule to include a coronavirus booster shot.
and where governors have not implemented their own mandates. Nationally, 87 percent of teachers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a nationally representative survey by the EdWeek Research Center.
Many states have so far left the decision on whether to require staff vaccinations to individual school districts. At least10 stateshave prohibited school districts from requiring teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Data compilation and reporting: Madeline Will Data visualization by Emma Patti HarrisFor media or research inquiries about this data, contact .How to cite this page: Where Teachers Are Required to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19 . Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from
Don’t Miss: How Much Does A Tdap Shot Cost At Cvs
Private Organizations Requiring Proof Of Vaccination
In order to protect their employees and patrons, some businesses and entities may mandate that their on-site employees be vaccinated. Some employers were initially hesitant to impose vaccine requirements, citing concerns over their validity due to the present EUAs among other factors. A June 2021 survey of companies found that only 3% planned to implement a vaccine mandate.
However, by late-July 2021 due to the threat of Delta variant, a number of major private employers across many industries announced vaccination requirements for employees. Similar mandates were announced for California state employees, and federal employees and contractors.
In an effort to protect their employees and other customers, some businesses may voluntarily require that their customers or patrons present proof of vaccination or a recent negative test in order to receive service or access.
Many U.S. colleges and universities, both public and privately owned, have started requiring students to be vaccinated before attending in-person classes in fall 2021. This has led to a black market in counterfeit CDC vaccination cards for students who want to violate this requirement instead of attending a different school.
Interview About Vaccines With Dr Lee
Grace Lee, M.D., is chief medical officer for practice innovation and an infectious diseases physician at Stanford Childrens Health, and currently serves on the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Californias COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.
A Voice of Science: Dr. Grace Lee
Read the full interview
Read Also: Tdap Shots Cvs
Mask Mandates In 8 States And Federal Mask Requirements Extended Here’s The Latest
With the COVID-19 omicron variant spreading rapidly, more indoor mask mandates are coming back. President Joe Biden has also extended the federal mask mandate through March 2022.
Mask mandates have been extended to help keep the new COVID variant from spreading.
The omicron variant, which has now been detected in 47 states in the US, has prompted federal mask mandates to be extended until March 18 in an effort to curb the spread, President Joe Biden recently announced. The federal mandate was originally supposed to expire on Jan. 18.
The federal requirement to wear a mask over the nose and mouth applies to people riding the bus, train and airplanes The extension is driven by a concern that the country could soon be fighting two COVID-19 variants at once. The highly contagious delta variant is still circling the country, while the new omicron variant has cases rising rapidly.
Last week, a statewide mask mandate for California was reinstated for indoor public places and will last at least a month. California joins seven other states and Puerto Rico in requiring most people to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.
Teachers Could Help Spread Public Trust In A Vaccine
Evidence certainly suggests many Americans are wary of getting vaccinated. Earlier this fall, half of respondents to a Pew survey said they would probably not or definitely not get vaccinated if an option were available at the time. Other surveys have indicated that parents are less likely to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 than they are to vaccinate themselves.
Groups like the AAP know this is a problem. Fear and mistrust of routine immunizations has been on the rise in this nation largely due to a vocal, well-established, and growing anti-vaccination movement and that movement is already actively promoting disinformation about a COVID-19 vaccine, it has warned.
Its unclear what impact vaccinating teachers, administrators and other school staff might have on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among parents, but they are generally well-trusted professions. In their appeal to the CDCs advisory committee, national educational groups acknowledged this, arguing that if teachers are among the first to get vaccinated that could help increase public trust. The education community could be a trusted messenger to help ease anxieties and increase the trust factor, the groups said.
Experts are clear that in order for the new COVID-19 vaccines to bring the pandemic to an end, vaccination must be widespread.
Recommended Reading: Cvs Tdap Booster
Why Experts Say Teachers Should Be Prioritized For The Covid
The U.K. has become the first country to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, and the United States likely will not be far behind. It is plausible that there will be two COVID-19 vaccines available for use here before the end of this year.
A federal advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now recommended that health care workers and nursing home residents should be the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
But who comes next? As a debate develops over how to prioritize distribution among high-risk individuals, including essential workers and older adults, there is a growing push to put teachers on the next rung of the priority list.
This week, 12 of the countrys largest education organizations, including the major teachers unions and National PTA, joined together to urge the CDC to prioritize educators and school staff. Heres why.
Provincial Guidance On Vaccine Priority
While provincial and territorial governments ultimately decide who gets vaccine priority, former Ontario deputy minister of education Charles Pascal told CTVNews.ca that teachers should “absolutely” be given vaccine priority.
Pascal, who is a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, said in an email on Wednesday that the lack of data on how COVID-19 presents itself in children is reason enough to vaccinate teachers.
“We have known for months that children increasingly have been shown to be asymptomatic carriers — this needs to be recognized. It is clear that teachers are front-line workers in all regards and deserve priority,” Pascal said.
He noted that the public health measures enacted in schools don’t do enough to protect teachers, education workers and those who come into contact with them outside of those facilities.
“Provincial governments like Ontario have placed teachers and students in very difficult circumstances because of government’s abysmal planning and support both for schools and the communities as large. As a result, more and more schools are having outbreaks, closing left and right,” Pascal said.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province will get to vaccinating everyone who wants a shot in time.
He noted that the second phase of the province’s vaccine rollout won’t take place until April 2021 and until then, the focus remains on “those who are most vulnerable, and health-care workers who serve them.”
Also Check: How Much Is Tdap Vaccine At Cvs
Kids Might Be Last In Line For A Vaccine
While COVID-19 vaccine development has been astoundingly fast, the process has been and will continue to be slower for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for kids to be included in vaccine trials, but that largely hasnt happened yet . Experts predict the vaccine may not be available to most children in the U.S. until sometime in the next academic year.
This research takes time. If this does not begin soon, it will be less likely a vaccine will be available for children before the next school year, Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, said in a press release last month.
That makes vaccines for teachers and school staff particularly important. The primary benefit of a COVID-19 vaccination is to the teachers themselves.
But then there is that important secondary benefit of limiting spread to all the kids they have contact with over the course of the day, Kesh explained.
So vaccinating teachers and school staff also decreases the risk of COVID-19 for students who may not be able to get the vaccine yet themselves as well as their families.
Teachers Unions Are Showing Less Opposition To Mandates
Fauci’s remarks echo the sentiments of Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who said over the weekend that her union should be working with school districts on vaccine mandates, rather than opposing them outright.
“It weighs really heavily on me that kids under 12 can’t get vaccinated,” Weingarten said, calling vaccination “a community responsibility.”
Also Check: Cvs Dtap Vaccine
Nyc Mandates Vaccinations For Public School Teachers Staff
NEW YORK All New York City public school teachers and other staffers will have to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, officials said Monday, ramping up pandemic protections as the nations largest school system prepares for classes to start next month.
The city previously said teachers, like other city employees, would have to get the shots or get tested weekly for the virus. The new policy marks the first no-option vaccination mandate for a broad group of city workers in the nations most populous city, though Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that coaches and students in football, basketball and other high-risk sports would have to get inoculated before play begins.
Unions bristled at the new requirement, saying the city needed to negotiate, not dictate. Two big city workers groups were planning to file a labor complaint or take legal action.
The city didnt immediately comment on the labor groups planned actions.
Other school unions also said they needed answers and input.
Mandates Will Spread When Vaccines Get Full Approval
The mandates won’t come from the federal level, said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is also President Biden’s chief medical adviser on COVID-19.
Instead, he said, the vaccine requirements will come at the state and local levels and Fauci predicted they’ll proliferate when the Food and Drug Administration gives full approval to coronavirus vaccines, rather than their current status of being authorized for emergency use.
Recommended Reading: Cheapest Shingles Vaccine