Vaccination: Prioritizing Educational Workers Varies State To State

Since the states are currently having troubles related to the lack of enough doses, officials are planning to prioritize them to certain categories.

Since the states are about to reopen schools, some of them are giving prime concern to the teachers and staff K-12, over faculty members and staff of colleges. 

Vaccination: Prioritizing Educational Workers Varies State To State

Half of the total states are preferring K-12 teachers in the country. In some of the other states teachers and staff from both higher and schools levels of education are equally considered to be given the vaccine doses. However, in the rest of the other states, either one of them is not receiving a similar consideration. 

The concept to prioritize individuals in the field of education according to the level of education they serve is considered unfair by bioethics experts.

Currently, the idea of prioritization is yet to receive the recommendations of the federal advisory group. This approach that is to be taken by states has already created vexation and raised concerns of equality. 

The states who decided to give priority to both of the groups include Alabama, California, Nebraska, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Whereas, states like Virginia and Washington D.C have decided to provide the doses to K-12 groups initially, where the higher education groups will get vaccinated later on.

In the state of Oklahoma, the officials decided to include pre-K-12 groups in phase 2 and other educational workers in phase 3.

The state of Massachusetts prefers to distribute the vaccine among early education and K-12 workers for its earlier phase.

The state plans to vaccinate others at the same time when the general public starts to receive the same. The states of Colorado and Tennessee give the priority to K-12 educators, but no special priority is given to those who work in the higher education sphere. 

The college leaders of the statue of Colorado demand themselves to be included in the priority list. The chancellor of the University of Denver, Michelle Marks tweeted that the state can expand the in-person learning for the students as soon as the higher education employees receive their vaccination shots. This will in turn help the state to gain its economy back on track and boost up the workforce. 

The President of the University of North Colorado, Andy Feinstein tweeted that he lobbied the state officials for raising the priorities to distribute vaccine doses to the faculty of UNC, specifically those who tackle part to the in-person teaching currently in the university classrooms, labs as well as studios.

He added that he understands the idea of prioritizing K-12 teachers since the school reopening activities are going on.

The college faculties also should be prioritized since many students in colleges are struggling with online learning programs. He also shared his worry towards the students who stop or struggle in silence.

Jared Polis, the Governor of Colorado recently said that the reason behind prioritizing pre-K-12 over higher education workers is the difficulty which the children of the elementary level face in learning through online education. He also added that the struggles of parents are also reduced if these children are prioritized.