A Jab Hard to Nab: Why Essential Workers Need But Can't Receive COVID Vaccines
The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on Monday, March 6, 2021. (Maxim Elramsisy | The Corsair)
On March 1, anyone 16-64 who works in education and childcare, emergency services, and food and agriculture will be eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccination. Starting March 15, many individuals with high-risk medical conditions will be eligible to receive their vaccination. Additionally, certain caregivers of family members are eligible, as detailed on the California Department of Public Health’s website.
One group of essential workers who have vied for vaccinations are teachers. Jennifer Smith, a member of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) board, says that the rollout to faculty in her district has gone smoothly. "The district has an agreement with [Providence Saint John's Health Center] to be able to allocate doses to have available for our staff and teachers," said Smith. According to Smith, SMMUSD does not mandate vaccines for COVID-19, but many teachers have volunteered to receive the vaccination.
As a member of the school board, Smith sees vaccines as playing a key role for students to safely return to school and start learning as they did pre-COVID. "I think education runs best when people feel safe in their environment,” said Smith. “We want to make the most workable situation to be able to educate our kids the best we can.”
She believes that teachers should have been part of a higher priority group to receive vaccinations along with the first tier in California. However, Smith remains glad that teachers are considered a priority and will be getting vaccinated as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, like all other essential workers, there are some roadblocks for teachers to get vaccinated. The slow national rollout, as well as unpredictable anomalies in weather across the Midwest that stopped delivery of vaccines, have delayed plans to vaccinate teachers. “I think if we could ramp up the availability of the vaccines out there, we would be getting on the right road,” said Smith.
As vaccines roll out over the next few months, more of America will start feeling safer as COVID-19 begins to pose less of a threat to vaccinated people. However, the CDC still recommends that vaccinated persons wear masks to avoid transmission until the American populace has reached herd immunity; meaning more than 70% of the American population is less likely to contract COVID-19 due to receiving vaccinations or prior infection.
In an interview with CNN on Feb. 16, the infectious disease expert and White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted that the vaccination will be available to all Americans by mid- to late-May or early June, and that America will reach herd immunity by late summer.
