VP Harris Hopes To Give Teachers Priority For Vaccination

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   Sharlee01posted 3 years ago

   
   Vice President Kamala Harris stressed Wednesday in a one-on-one interview that teachers should be given priority for getting Covid-19 vaccinations.  However,  wouldn’t say if she believed that giving them the shots should be a prerequisite for reopening schools.
   
   Harris was asked by "TODAY" show anchor Savannah Guthrie whether she could reassure teachers that it would be safe for them to go back to school even if they’re not vaccinated. "Teachers should be a priority,” said Harris, adding that teachers “are critical to our children's development, they should be able to teach in a safe place and expand the minds and the opportunities of our children. So teachers should be a priority along with other front-line workers.” Harris also added ---  fewer than half the states are prioritizing teachers right now to receive the vaccine.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HKXwm494Uk
   
   So where does science stand on her theory that teachers need to be put ahead of the elderly that have been mainly affected by the virus?  Guthrie noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put out guidance saying that teachers do not have to be vaccinated to go back to school. Asked again if it’s safe for teachers to return to the classroom without being vaccinated, Harris said that states have to decide whether they can institute safe measures, such as social distancing. She emphasized that the key to ensuring that those measures are in place is Congress passing another Covid-19 relief package.
   
   Over the past month, I have heard from the Biden administration that they would strictly follow the science And that the previous administration made the mistake of not following the CDC, the science, and it was a true mistake to not have a "Federal plan;, not leaving the decision making on COVID up to the states... It would seem Harris's latest statements have negated what the Biden administration put forward.
   
   On the other hand --- The vice president also repeated President Joe Biden's statement Tuesday night at a CNN town hall that his administration's goal is to get as many K-8 schools reopened within the first 100 days of his presidency, allowing students to attend class five days a week. It would seem either Biden or harris are misinformed about what policies should be followed to reopen schools. 
   
   Should Biden follow the science as he claimed he would or Harris and the teacher's unions, which are demanding the teachers be vaccinated before returning to the classrooms? 
   
   And what did you make of the Harris - Guthrie interview?  Does it seem Harris and Biden are not on the same page?
   
   And, where does the science really stand on who should be vaccinated first?  The CDC just this past week put out their recommendations for getting children back into school.
   
   Also, should we not be considering the new promising COVID stats that show the Virus is not as virulent to our population. Have we not flattened the curve enough to get children back into school. New stats show Florida a state that did not use all the suggested mitigations has fair almost as well as Michigan and California, which used very draconian mitigations. It's been a year and stats at this point can be respected to show what states have fared better...
    
   What Does SCIENCE Say ..
   COVID ---  Age Increases Risk for Hospitalization
   Older adults are at greater risk of requiring hospitalization or dying if they are diagnosed with COVID-19. As you get older, your risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 increases. 8 out of 10 deaths reported from COVID are for the elderly 65 and over.
   https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nc … ven%20die.
   
   Children and COVID Mayo Clinic  --- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con … t-20484405
   .
   Resource's  --- CDCNew Guidelines for reopening schools   
   https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nc … index.html
   
   CDC -- What age group is most affected by COVID --- https://www.cdc.gov/aging/covid19-guida … 20illness.
   
   CDC  Recommendations -- Who should be vaccinated first ---   https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nc … tions.html
   
   Worldometer Daily stats on COVID  --- https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
   
   Dr. Fauci's opinion on vaccinating teachers --- "Not all teachers need to be vaccinated" before returning to classrooms. --- https://nypost.com/2021/02/14/fauci-not … n-schools/

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      GA Andersonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      In another thread, you asked if I thought grocery store workers should also be a priority for vaccinations. I don't think so.
      
      With apologies, I did not follow all your links, I am answering from what I know from media presentations and what I think is common sense.
      
      Using grocery store workers as an example for all in-the-public front-line workers, my thoughts are that Covid protections and controls are much more 'controllable' than a teacher's environment.
      
      When you go into a grocery store you are entering as an adult or an adult controlling your kids. Mask wearing is mandatory and enforced. My experience has been that all areas where worker/public interactions occur are defined and protected by social distance markings, (which I see being generally adhered to), and plexiglass barriers. Checkout belts are cleaned after almost every customer's use and grocery cart handles are wiped each time they are returned to the line for use. At least that is the situation in the grocery stores I frequent.
      
      I think it would be impossible to have such efforts in a school environment. Have you seen the images of one school's efforts—putting a 3-sided plexiglass and metal frame around each student desk? That is nuts.
      
      Can you imagine the corridor enforcement needed to keep a class of 3rd graders walking 6 feet apart and their masks properly worn? How many hallway enforcers would be needed, you know as soon as one stops to fix a kid's mask or enforce separation all the other kids will gather to see what is going on.
      
      How about our treasured view of teacher interaction helping young students; how would a 3rd grader needing math help feel when the best the teacher can do is lean close to the plexiglass barrier and try to point to what needs to be done?
      
      These types of examples could be presented for hundreds of other instances where proper Covid protections just won't work in a K - 8 school environment.
      
      I don't think teachers can do the job needed—in those grade levels—and maintain proper Covid protections. They are more than just warm bodies.
      
      So maybe the science and regional anecdotal evidence say what I see as common sense is wrong. Well, then I may be wrong, but the timeline of what science knows about Covid, when they make their determination, doesn't give me the confidence—yet, to ignore what I think is a common-sense evaluation.
      
      In essence, my view is that, at this point, science is telling teachers to 'trust me', and given the number of about-faces we have seen them make, (ie. mask-wearing), since the start of the pandemic I think they are asking too much.
      
      GA

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         Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

         I really appreciate your input. You provided some very good points. Common sense does tell us to be leary of what we have been told about the virus as well as many flip-flops on information regarding mitigations.

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      GA Andersonposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      A return visit to address your OP.
      
      I agree with Harris that teachers should be prioritized. (as previously explained)
      
      I agree with Harris that any priority plan should be a state's decision. That is my Conservative 'State's Rights' bias speaking.
      
      I disagree with Harris that another Covid relief package is what is needed. It seems teacher vaccination would do a lot to mitigate the draconian Covid protections being proposed for schools, (another reference to the ridiculous image of all classroom desks surrounded by 3-sided plexiglass/metal barriers), than tossing tens of billions of dollars at the problem.
      
      
      
      As for the CDC info in this paragraph and your first link, would you be okay if you were a 30-year old teacher and had a 20% chance of being 130 times more likely to die than the student that infected you? Would you have to think of your own kids when considering that 20% chance?
      
      As for Pres. Biden, (and VP Harris), following the science . . .  is the CDC recommendations true science, or, a political stance based on science? To repeat a previous sentiment, does the CDC and science's early timeline declarations really offer that much confidence in the "science"? Enough to risk your life?
      
      Yes, I do think President Biden and VP Harris are on the same page. Pres. Biden is trying to speak truth and project optimism, (as Trump was frequently defended for trying—which I supported), and VP Harris is addressing a specific aspect of that issue.
      
      Now, when you speak of "new stats" and make reference to Florida and California, I agree the picture is promising, but, how consoling would those new stats be to funeral participants on one of those 20% outliers?
      
      Consider this. When you are talking about 100s or 1000s of students from innumerous outside-school environments, would you personally be willing to risk your life? 80% of your students come from Covid-rule abiding environments, but 20% come from Covid-be-damned environments. Are those numbers you would risk your life on?
      
      Remember, the CDC also said facemasks weren't necessary. But they can be trusted to be right now?
      
      To your links:
      
      CDC's 80/20 ratio. Hurray for you if you think a 20% risk of life is negligible. Especially at a 130X death ratio.
      
      And in reference to your second, Mayo Clinic, link, while it seems true that children suffer much less severe reactions to Covid-19 infections, the CDC, (that you imply should be trusted), notes that they also have, at least, the same viral load, (as related to transmission ability), load as adults:
      
      "Recent evidence suggests that compared to adults, children likely have similar viral loads in their nasopharynx,7 similar secondary infections rates, and can spread the virus to others."
      
      I recall media presentations that children exhibited much higher infection load-levels, making them almost super-spreaders, but that info wasn't in your Mayo Clinic link.
      
      Regarding your next link—CDC's New Guidelines for opening schools:
      
      "Families of students who are at increased risk of severe illness or who live with people at high risk should be given the option of virtual  instruction regardless of the mode of learning offered."
      
      Are you confident such families would not send their kids to school, or that teachers have the ability to know which students fit this description? In a class of 28 kids, (a semi-average number of classroom size), how can a teacher know how many kids fit the high-risk home environment stats?
      
      Relative to your next link: CDC Vaccination Priorities, I have noted that I think teachers should be included in the first phase which includes front-line workers. Your link doesn't address the reasons for their recommendations beyond the risk of death. To support this contention would seem to imply an agreement with the risks of a 10-chamber Russian-roulette gun. Only 2 bullets are in the gun, so the risk is minimal. Would you play that game?
      
      I will stop here. None of the links I have checked alter my "common-sense" perception that teachers should be a first priority if we want to reopen our schools. And none of the inferences project negatively on Harris or Pres. Biden.
      
      Also, as I am almost universally an anti-union Conservative, none of the popular anti-teachers Union condemnations hold any water in my view.
      
      GA

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         Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Well, once again I appreciate your input.  First, let me clarify something --- I used the CDC as a resource due to the Biden administration has sort of adopted the organization of their Bible.  Being an RN I have witnessed the ineptness of the CDC for many years, they are worthless.  And boy did you help me prove my point.   The Mayo Clinic I respect and have great faith in, but they actually are very careful what they put out or stand behind.
         
         You made very valid points in regards to why you feel teachers should be vaccinated before returning to the classroom. being a nurse, my education makes me inclined to vaccinate anyone with morbidities and those over 65 just after the medical community.  Watched lot's of elderly die last spring while I volunteered as an IV nurse. (which was only for about two months twice a week).  So, due to my own experience being of this opinion to get to the elderly first. 
         
         Was protecting the elderly and flatting the curve not the priority?  The death rate in young adults, as well as children, remains small. So I as I said I prefer the elderly to be vaccinated first.    I actually have a 7year old grandson in private school, full-time, from the start of the school year. In his school, they have had two cases, one teacher, and an office worker. They remained open through both illnesses, and all seems to be well.   But I can understand your point in regards to vaccinating teachers, and the urgency to get children back to school. Public schools are funded poorly, and many are overcrowded.
         
         Not up to any back and forth on Biden or Harris. I will agree to disagree.
         
         I created the thread to get other's opinions, just hoped to see what others are thinking in regards to getting kids back to school, and. a bit of feedback on vaccine distribution.
         
         I know mine. And I appreciate yours.

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   wildernessposted 3 years ago

   Can't speak for all the states, but in Idaho the plan (as I understand it) shows teachers in the same group as those 65 and older.  They came behind health care workers and first responders, but get the vaccine at the same time as seniors do.
   
   https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/wp-conten … -FINAL.pdf

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      Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Our Governor here in Michigan has added teachers to the 65 and over and people with morbidities groups as well. Teachers had been in the General population until recently.
      
      We are having a problem getting the vaccine out here, and it seems it would be smarter to vaccinate people with morbidities before teachers.

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         wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Well, it's pure guess on my part, but the group including teachers and 65+ is divided into about 5 sub-groups.  Were it necessary I'm thinking they would accept only particular sub groups. 
         
         I would suspect, though, that people with morbidities is so small (all is relative, of course) that it isn't realistic to say only that group will be added.  A matter of logistics; will that small group require all the vaccination stations, will vaccines spoil before use, etc.  It's not a simple thing, and doubly so when the political end of it is added in.

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      IslandBitesposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Here in PR too.
      Two of my sisters got it two weeks ago. All personnel of the school got it that day.
      Today my other two sisters got vaccinated along with the rest of their coworkers.

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         wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         My wife got it today through her doctor's office.  They wouldn't do me - I had to wait until Saturday to get it at my own doctor's office.  A little irritating that only current customers of a particular office can get it there.
         
         My sister got hers a while back as a health care worker in Oregon.  She's part time, in a lab, but fit into it anyway.

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            IslandBitesposted 3 years agoin reply to this

            Two of my sisters are teachers, the other two are part of the personnel of another school. That's why they got theirs even though they're young.
            
            My parents and grandma got vaccinated two weeks ago, the same day, at a Costco of all places. LOL

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      Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting. I had a look at your link. Did I note that Grocery store workers, postal workers are in the last phase? Odd, they were needed from the very first day we had lockdowns. Teachers a majority did not come in contact with students and were allowed to work from home or in settings that provide good space to uses mitigation. We have very similar phases in Michigan. The teacher's unions are demanding the teachers get vaccinated before returning to the classrooms. If we follow the science, it appears their requests are not reasonable.  Thoughts
      
      I think in a way it depends on the individual state, many states are doing well getting the vaccine out almost without acknowledging phases as they become more efficient with the distribution of the vaccine.
      
      In my state lot of uproar, many people with morbidities are being passed over due to a lack of organization.  We have been promised by the Gov that the distribution will become more organized.

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         wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         No, I don't think grocery workers are the last phase.  I'm making an assumption here because the general population is not on any list (unless they are over 65). 
         
         That would make grocery workers ahead of the general population.  Ahead of adults, children, general labor such as construction or retail, etc.  Can't say I understand the rationale...but can say I'm glad I wasn't in charge of making those lists!

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            Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

            I see  #4 and #5 are one phase. So it would appear they put many in the phase with 65 and older.  Looks like a fair plan. Yes, I would not want to handle deciding the phases.

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               wildernessposted 3 years agoin reply to this

               That's the way I see it, too.  It could be broken into two phases if need be, but I don't think it is.
               
               Overall I've been pretty happy with my state's plan of attack right from the beginning.  I also recognize that I most certainly do not have all the facts they do, and have not thought of everything they have.

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