Coronavirus

White House Doesn't Recommend Mandating Vaccines For Teachers

The president and CDC both say that vaccination is important for teachers but should not be required.

White House Doesn't Recommend Mandating Vaccines For Teachers
AP / Shafkat Anowar
SMS

“I think we should be vaccinating teachers."

"Teachers should be a priority.” 

“Teachers should be vaccinated.”

The Biden administration stopping short of saying teachers must be able to get shots before being forced back to class. Instead just recommending it to states.

"Schools are opening every week.”

It’s a major concern for teachers from coast to coast, including the nation’s second-largest school district in L.A. County. 

"Today we have hit the state's threshold required to reopen schools for in-person instruction.”

Many teachers there and elsewhere are demanding vaccines before going back to in-person teaching. 

"You can't say, we're not going to open any schools, unless all the teachers get vaccinated.”

CDC guidelines say "vaccinating teachers and school staff can be considered one layer of mitigation and protection for staff and students”.

But adding it’s not required to reopen schools.

As for the science: "When you talk about the danger of teachers getting infected. We know that when you talk about infection within the school setting is what really is going on in the community, that is the risk of infection to anyone, including teachers."

Community spread is the larger risk, not classroom spread. The CDC says less than 10% of all U.S. cases are in children and teens, and kids are less likely to spread the virus, especially younger ones. Still, with demand for vaccines climbing, some teachers are looking for more forceful help from the White House.

"i don't want to beat it to death, but teachers are listening, and the CDC has said they don't have to be vaccinated to go back to school, of course it’s the priority.” 

“We think that they should be a priority. We think that they should be a priority. And the states are making decisions individually about where they will be on the list of who should get vaccinated. I believe they should be a priority. The president believes they should be a priority.”