WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized on Wednesday that teachers should be prioritized for Covid-19 vaccinations, but did not say whether she believed that administering vaccines should be a prerequisite for the reopening of schools.
In her first individual live interview since taking office, Harris was asked by “Today” program anchor Savannah Guthrie if she could reassure teachers that it would be safe for them to return to school, even if they were not vaccinated.
“Teachers must be a priority,” said Harris, adding that teachers “are essential to our children’s development, they must be able to teach in a safe place and expand our children’s minds and opportunities. Therefore, teachers must be a priority along with other frontline workers. “
Harris said less than half of the states are prioritizing teachers now to receive the vaccine.
Guthrie noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines saying that teachers do not need to be vaccinated to return to school.
Asked again whether it is safe for them to return to the classroom without being vaccinated, Harris said states have to decide whether they can institute safe measures, such as social detachment. She emphasized that the key to ensuring that these measures are implemented is for Congress to approve another Covid-19 aid package.
“They should be a priority,” said Harris of teachers being vaccinated, “and states are making individual decisions about where they will be on the list of who will be vaccinated.”
States are grappling with the situation, as infectious disease experts say schools are not one of Covid-19’s main sources of transmission and many teacher unions are opposed to its reopening.
The CDC also released guidance that says the reopening of schools must be linked to the infection rate in the communities. Under this metric, Guthrie said that up to 90 percent of schools may not be able to reopen.
When asked, Harris did not say whether it is a mistake for the CDC to make the recommendation, but just said it is only a recommendation “on how to reopen safely if they were closed, how to remain open if they were open.”
The vice president also echoed President Joe Biden’s statement Tuesday night at a CNN prefecture that his administration’s goal is to reopen as many K-8 schools in the first 100 days of his presidency, allowing students attend classes five days a week.
“The issue here is not just statistics – it is about our children, it is about their parents,” said Harris. “It’s about the fact that every day our children miss essential and critical days in their educational development.”
“Every day in a child’s life is very long,” she continued, “which is why we have to do everything in our power to reopen our schools as quickly as possible, in the safest way possible.”
