DeSantis says school employees will not be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccine
“Emphasizing that his focus remains on Florida’s elderly population, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said teachers and school staff should not expect to be prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19 — at least for now.” according to the Miami Herald.
“The governor’s comments came as a new semester kicked off in most Florida school districts, leaving many school employees wondering if they will be among the groups at the top of the state’s priority list in the early stages of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
“Not at this time,” DeSantis told reporters Monday, when asked if teachers will be prioritized for the shots”
This flies in the face of guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The CDC listed school employees- including teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and others- as part of roughly 30 million “frontline essential workers” who should be prioritized for vaccinations. However, Florida’s governor insists the priority should be people 65 or older regardless of underlying health conditions.
Ironicially, DeSantis forced school employees back to work in August and threatened to withhold state funding if they did not comply. His administration went to court to defend this policy insisting that it was extremely important for both children and the economy to reopen schools.
Take a moment to use our quick tool and tell the governor that he can’t have it both ways. If it is imperative schools remain open, then school employees must be made a priority for the vaccine as essential frontline workers.
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