The results suggest that the most common transmission was from teacher to teacher.
“The findings also highlight the importance of stepping up vaccination efforts across the country, including the continuing need to prioritize teachers and other school staff for vaccination as part of essential frontline workers, consistent with the advisory committee’s recommendation. about immunization practices “. said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
In New Mexico, educators are not eligible to receive the vaccine unless they have certain health conditions or are 75 years of age or older.
The state Department of Health says that many educators have already been vaccinated because of their age or health conditions.
Albuquerque Public Schools does not plan to open its classrooms for face-to-face education, unless Bernalillo County is green or more teachers can be vaccinated.
A spokeswoman for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state is following the guidance of the CDC, which also places teachers in category 1B.
“I want to emphasize that while the CDC’s operational strategy provides face-to-face instruction during all levels of community dissemination, the safest and fastest way to open schools and keep them open is to have as little COVID-19 as possible in the community, to allow that schools open and remain open is therefore a shared responsibility, “said Walensky.
KOB 4 asked the New Mexico Department of Health representative if the study showing that teachers are driving the spread of the virus in classrooms changes the schedule for vaccinating teachers.
The spokesman said: “The state is looking forward to vaccinating everyone who wants to be vaccinated, and we are doing it faster than 47 states. We remain limited by the supply of vaccine we have received from the federal government.”
The spokesman also said it could take another month before the state moves to the next subcategory, which includes teachers, staff and other essential frontline workers.