Encouraged by an increase in vaccine shipments, states and cities are rapidly expanding to qualify for COVID-19 admissions for teachers, Americans 50 and older, and others as the US rushes to beat the virus and businesses and schools to reopen.
Indiana and Michigan will begin vaccinating those 50 and older, while Arizona and Connecticut have thrown open the line for those who are at least 55. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are reserving the first doses of Johnson & Johnson’s new one-time vaccine for teachers. And in Detroit, factory workers can get vaccinated starting this week, regardless of age.
Giving the vaccine to teachers and other school personnel “will help protect our communities,” said Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. “It will take the burden off our parents and families. It will ensure that our schools start teaching our children again. “
So far, the vaccination campaign against the outbreak that killed more than half a million Americans has focused mainly on health workers and seniors.
All over the US, politicians and school administrators have worked hard in recent weeks to reopen classrooms to keep students from falling behind and to enable more parents to return to work. But teachers resist returning without getting vaccinated.
The Department of Health and Human Services has mandated all states to make teachers, school personnel, bus drivers, and child carers eligible for admission. That’s a big shift for the Biden administration, which controls access to COVID-19 vaccines, but previously allowed states to set their own guidelines.
Jody Mackey, 46, a high school digital media and history teacher in Traverse City, Michigan – where students have mostly attended in person since September – received her second dose nearly two weeks ago after teachers in her district were assigned as essential workers.
Before that, she kept the windows of her classroom open and used heaters.
“If you want schools to be successful and safe and you want your teachers to be involved with their heads, get them the vaccination,” she said. “Putting teachers in a situation where they feel scared all the time, where they want to avoid their kids, how is that good for kids or teachers?”
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on Wednesday ordered students and teachers to return to school this month, saying many teachers have already received their second dose.
“The science is clear: it is time for all children to have the opportunity to return to school so they can get back on track and close the achievement gap,” Ducey said in a statement.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US has delivered more than 80 million shots during a vaccination program now underway. More than 20% of the country’s adults, or nearly 52 million people, have received at least one dose and 10% have been fully vaccinated.
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the US expects to have enough vaccine for all adults by the end of May – two months earlier than expected – although it will likely take longer to administer those injections. He also urged states to give at least one chance to teachers by the end of the month, saying the government will provide the doses through its pharmacy program.
In Wisconsin, teachers will be given priority when the state receives its first shipment of about 48,000 doses of the J&J vaccine, health authorities said. Pennsylvania teachers will also be first in line when 94,000 doses of that formula are expected to arrive this week.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced this week that educators, school personnel, and daycare workers can now record. In Texas, where teachers have been fighting to access shots, government officials ordered vaccine providers on Wednesday to begin administering shots to school staff.
And in Massachusetts, about 400,000 teachers, childcare workers and school staff can sign up for vaccinations as of March 11, Governor Charlie Baker said, though he warned it may take time to make arrangements as supplies remain limited.
Tennessee will open vaccinations Monday for an estimated 1 million people over the age of 16 with high-risk health conditions and those in households with medically vulnerable children.
The rush to vaccinate comes as many states are relaxing restrictions on people and businesses, despite repeated warnings from health officials that the US risks another deadly wave. Biden called on the Republican governors of Texas and Mississippi for the lifting of mask rules.
“We are about to fundamentally change the nature of this disease,” the president said on Wednesday. “The last thing we need is for the Neanderthal to think everything is okay in the meantime, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters. “
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves snapped back on Twitter. Mississippians don’t need handlers. As the numbers decrease, they can assess their choices and listen to experts, ”he said. “I think I think we should trust Americans, not offend.”
Although deaths and newly confirmed infections plummeted from their peaks in January, they are still running at a high level. The US has an average of nearly 2,000 deaths and 66,000 cases per day.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky encouraged Americans to “do the right thing,” even as states lift their restrictions.
Vaccinations are seen as the key to getting people back to work and reviving the battered economy.
“The more people we can get the safe and effective vaccine, the sooner we can return to a sense of normalcy,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Wednesday in a statement announcing that people aged 50 to 64 can receive vaccinations. on March 22.
Cindy Estrada, a vice president at United Auto Workers, said factory workers have suffered illness and death, so Detroit’s decision to give them photos “is incredibly important.”
“It will give them some peace of mind,” she said, exposing her arm for a shot.
Associated Press Writers Collin Binkley in Boston; David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan; Ed White in Detroit; John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan; Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Terry Tang in Phoenix; Tom Davies in Indianapolis; and Alexandra Jaffe, Nancy Benac and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.