City Council pushes for vaccine for educators

This week, the Council adopted a resolution urging Governor Charlie Baker’s administration to prioritize childcare providers, early education, and K-12 educators in COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

The updated vaccination plan unveiled by Massachusetts officials on January 25th prioritizes people aged 65 and older over many essential workers, including childcare providers, early education and K-12 educators, putting educators in the third tier of Phase 2.

According to the Boston Teachers Union and other education advocates, the Commonwealth’s new prioritization plan may significantly delay the vaccination of educators and slow down a safe return to in-person learning in schools across the City.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) COVID-19 Vaccines Work Group, tasked with balancing the goals of preventing morbidity and mortality while preserving societal functioning, has recommended that frontline essential workers, including educators, be prioritized for vaccinations in the same tier as persons aged 75 years and older, ahead of persons aged 65-74 years and persons aged 16-64 with high-risk conditions.

As it stands, a growing number of educators and staff are already working inside of school buildings.