BUCKS COUNTY − March 2, 2021 − State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) today called for the Pennsylvania Department of Health to expand Phase 1A eligibility to include teachers and school staff. In a letter to Governor Wolf, Sen. Santarsiero urged him to prioritize vaccinations for teachers, in an effort to safely re-open schools for in-person instruction as quickly as possible.
“Earlier today I sent a letter to the Governor asking that teachers and school staff be prioritized in Phase 1A for the COVID-19 vaccine, and that the state embark on an aggressive campaign to get them vaccinated quickly, so that we can safely reopen schools in the coming weeks. Our teachers have done an amazing job of adapting to virtual and hybrid learning over the past year. The safety of teachers, students and other school staff is a critical component of what must be a priority for our state: a return to classroom learning as soon as possible.”
Sen. Santarsiero cited the approval of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, along with the announcement of an agreement for Merck to also produce the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, to show an anticipated increase in both the state’s vaccine supply and an expedited timeline for vaccinations to occur.
Sen. Santarsiero wrote, “The benefits of in person instruction for students, both academically and from a mental health perspective, have been well documented. With increased access to vaccine doses and more readily available PPE, we are now at a point at which we can get students back into schools in a way that protects both them and teachers and staff.”
The full text of the letter to the Governor is available here.
###
Letter to Governor Wolf on Teacher Vaccines