The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that schools can reopen safely, even if teachers are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for the safe reopening of schools,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House COVID-19 response team briefing.
Walensky cited CDC data showing that social spread and wearing a mask significantly reduces the spread of the virus in the school environment.
Some teachers’ unions, including United Teachers Los Angeles, have failed to resume personal tutoring before vaccinating teachers. LA Unified Supt. Austin Beutner, said it is critical that health officials specifically target school workers on vaccination while campuses are closed so that the barrier to reopening is removed.
“Vaccination of school staff will help open school classrooms earlier,” Beutner said this week.
Teachers are being prescribed as “essential workers” under the CDC’s vaccination counseling, although many have not yet received any doses as the country still has a vaccine shortage.
President Biden has promised to ensure that almost all K-8 schools will reopen to personal education in the first 100 days of his administration.
White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients called on Congress to pass on additional funds to ensure schools have the necessary resources to support the reopening.