Teachers and education workers must be on the vaccine priority list
Teachers and education workers need to be on the COVID-19 vaccine priority list
Ottawa, December 15, 2020—As Provinces and Territories finalize their rollout plans for the COVID-19 vaccines, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation calls on governments across the country to include teachers and education workers on the vaccine priority list.
Every day teachers and education workers put themselves at risk of exposure. They are in close contact with students and other adults, indoors, for many hours at a time, every day, usually with poor ventilation. Even if schools try to maintain social distance, the reality is that sufficient physical distancing to prevent transmission of the COVID virus is not possible in many classrooms and schools.
What is more, students under the age of 16 have so far not been authorized to be vaccinated. Therefore, unlike most other professionals under consideration for the priority list, teachers and education workers will be exposed daily to groups of individuals who do not have immunity against this deadly disease.
“Given how essential it is that school buildings remain open for all students to learn to the best of their ability and for the economy to recover, and considering the actual working conditions for teachers and education workers, it is imperative that teachers and education workers be prioritized to receive the Coronavirus vaccine”, says President Shelley L. Morse.
While provincial governments will ultimately decide their own priorities, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation implores all levels of government to ensure teachers and education workers are next in line, after vulnerable populations and health care workers. Canada’s economy and our children’s future depend on it.
Quick facts
- Founded in 1920, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation is the national voice for the teaching profession.
- As the national alliance of provincial and territorial teacher organizations, the CTF/FCE represents over 300,000 elementary and secondary school teachers across Canada.
Media contact
Julie Savard-Shaw,
Canadian Teachers’ Federation
Contact
Mobile: 613-408-4658
