The government is giving municipalities the option of prioritizing staff in schools and kindergartens, so that as many people as possible are vaccinated before the summer vacation ends.
Municipalities can prioritize the relevant group after vaccinating health workers and at-risk groups, according to the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports.
It is important that we get as close as possible after the summer holidays to a normal and good start. Kindergartens, schools and the SFO are planning for a greener, with fewer infection control measures, says Education and Integration Minister Guri Melby (V).
The reason they are now choosing to prioritize groups is that vaccinating the entire population takes longer than expected, and therefore not all teachers will be protected before schools reopen. In this case, the first dose of the vaccine should be determined no later than three weeks before the start of school.
Before the delay in the vaccination programme, there was little to gain from prioritizing this group because they were still immunized and protected before school started, but now that won’t be the case for everyone in this professional category, says Infection Control Director Non-Bochholm of the institute. National Public Health (FHI) in a press release.
some extra work
Municipalities can reallocate up to 10 percent of vaccines to accommodate this. The municipality itself must assess whether it wants to set priorities again.
– I realized that this might lead to more work on the municipalities to rearrange their priorities. I still hope that many will see this as a good opportunity, and be able to make it happen in a good way. Melby says I know many municipalities also want to be able to secure staff in schools and kindergartens for the next school year.
Bucolm notes that the fact that the government is opening up to the municipalities themselves to assess how and whether to reprioritize vaccine doses for this group is positive, as there are significant differences from municipality to municipality.
Education Association responds
Education Association President Stephen Handal responds to the fact that the municipality itself can choose not to prioritize teachers.
This does not contribute to security but rather to confusion. I don’t understand how the government can’t make this decision on its own. It seems strange. For school and kindergarten workers, this will contribute to insecurity rather than giving them a sense of safety, Handal says. VG.
– You are left with the experience of being cheated. I think it is very unfortunate. This is not necessary. This is where the government must decide. I don’t see the need to let it go back and forth.
disputed
One potential priority for teachers and other professions on the vaccine waiting list has been the hot potato in recent months.
However, the advice from the National Institute of Public Health has not yet given priority to vaccinating some professions or people with socially important work over others. In April, they paved the way for teachers and schools, on the condition that high-risk groups (all up to age 45) and health workers be vaccinated and prioritized in case the infection spreads widely.
The government has largely chosen to follow FHI advice, but when the government chose to prioritize representatives in Parliament and a number of other key socially important employees in May, debate escalated. Several deputies chose to withhold their dose and said they would give it to the teacher.
