Schools across the nation need not have every teacher on staff vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to safely reopen to students, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week.
Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky explained on Wednesday that there is “increasing data” to suggest the schools can safely reopen without having all teachers vaccinated.
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The “vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for [the] safe reopening of schools,” Walensky said during a White House COVID-19 briefing.
The Biden administration is facing growing pressure to reopen schools; it’s pledged to do so safely. Yet many teachers’ unions have expressed concern about working conditions should all students return to school buildings as in pre-COVID times.
The unions’ stance, in turn, has angered many parents of schoolchildren who say the cost of keeping kids isolated and at home is far too great.
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A CDC report released last week noted that with safety measures in place such as mask wearing and keeping students to small cohort learning groups, “transmission risk within schools appeared low, suggesting that schools might be able to safely open with appropriate mitigation efforts in place.”
See these tweets containing more detail, context, and reaction.
CDC director says teachers don’t need vaccines to reopen schools https://t.co/DjnadZKMzI
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) February 3, 2021
Dr. Rochelle Walensky says, “Vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools.” Walensky cited CDC data showing that social distancing and wearing a mask significantly reduce the spread of the virus in school settings. https://t.co/SSD6g8gE2p
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) February 3, 2021
The evidence is clear: COVID-19 risk to kids in school is low. Meanwhile, the emotional cost to kids not having in-person learning is high. I voted for $54 billion to safely reopen schools in the last COVID-19 relief bill. https://t.co/MUS9dfJzsY
— Rep. Andy Barr (@RepAndyBarr) February 3, 2021
“There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen, and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated in order to reopen safely.” @CDCDirector @CDCgov pic.twitter.com/bCA9AFWHsQ
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) February 4, 2021
Teachers do not need to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before schools can safely reopen, the head of the CDC said. https://t.co/FQUkqrJ4bs
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) February 4, 2021
CDC: Teachers do not need to be vaccinated in order to safely reopen schools https://t.co/5K67LNENvm
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) February 3, 2021
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–By CNJ Staff