Baker’s decision to add educators to the state’s fitness list also means teachers are allowed to get the vaccine on any of the state’s 170 vaccination sites. Plus, Baker said, the state commando center is expected to designate specific days at mass vaccination sites for educators to get their vaccinations.
But the provision of vaccines is still a concern for Baker, who estimated that it could take a month before everyone in the youngest group can take for admission to their first vaccination appointment. The state received about 150,000 first doses a week from the federal government, Baker said, and the volume is not expected to change drastically this month.
It is estimated that 400,000 people will be eligible for educators, school staff and childminders.
“The message the governors received yesterday is that we should not expect a significant increase in supply until the end of March,” Baker said on Wednesday. “Therefore, it will probably take a while before all the people who are part of this group to make themselves work through the system.”
Massachusetts received about 58,000 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was approved by federal regulators for emergency use on Saturday, and it was distributed primarily to hospitals, health systems and some community health centers, Baker said. The state does not expect more doses of Johnson & Johnson until the end of March or beginning of April.
“We hope to see a significant increase at some point in the future,” Baker said of the total vaccine supply to the state, “because we do have the ability to dramatically increase the number of people vaccinated in Massachusetts.” to enlarge, but we can only vaccinate with what we get from the feds. ”
Educators have been added to the suitability list to comply with Biden’s mandate and to limit any confusion between federal and state guidelines, the governor said.
“We do not want people to be confused,” he said.
Baker made the announcement Wednesday at a Gloucester school, where students and staff members celebrated the school’s 101st day of personal learning this academic year. Her boiling over excitement exclaimed Sefatia Romeo Theken, Mayor of Gloucester: “Yes!” when Baker takes into account the change of vaccine.
Pressure has increased for Baker to remove teachers from the list of vaccination priorities, an issue that has become even more urgent for educators after government officials announced plans to force school districts to reopen primary schools in April for full-time, personal learning. .
Both House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen E. Spilka said the Baker administration should focus on vaccinating educators, rather than forcing school districts to reopen quickly full-time. In a letter sent to the governor on Monday, 21 state lawmakers expressed similar concern about having to force teachers back into the classroom next month before being vaccinated.
Some or all of the educators are eligible for coronavirus vaccines in 34 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to Education Week from Monday.
In Massachusetts, teachers would be part of the next group on the COVID-19 vaccination admission list, which includes a wide range of essential workers. Food service and transit employees, sanitation workers, court system employees, funeral directors and many others are in the group.
It is not clear when the next group will be eligible for the vaccine.
The Baker administration has defended his vaccination timeline for teachers, citing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention – and comments from the CDC’s director, dr. Rochelle Walensky – that the vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for the reopening of schools, as long as other mitigation methods are followed.
But teachers’ unions in Massachusetts have been fighting for weeks for their members to be placed in the state’s vaccination process, and even submit a pilot program to the state that would quickly get teachers vaccinated in up to 20 districts in great need.
“I have not been so hopeful for a long time,” Beth Kontos, president of the American Federation of Massachusetts Teachers, told the Globe on Tuesday afternoon after Biden announced. She said at the time that she hoped Baker would take a turn soon and also prioritize educators.
Felicia Gans can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @FeliciaGans.