Headteachers are calling for all teachers to receive the vaccine next month, and have presented an ambitious plan to the government of how to do it.
The scheme would involve 150 independent schools and state academies becoming vaccination hubs, with school workers getting the jab during 16 hour days of vaccinations.
Those who drew up the plan claim that medical workers could get through ‘most or even all’ of the one million school and nursery teachers, teaching assistants and support staff, including dinner ladies and caretakers in England, within a week.
The plan was reported in the Mail on Sunday, amid fears that schools are unlikely to return even after February half term.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson only said he ‘hoped’ children would be back in classrooms by Easter last week.
The plan was drawn up by the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, which represents almost 300 private schools including Eton and Harrow, as well as another private school group, and two state academy chains.
Responding to a question about mass vaccinations for education staff over February half-term, Matt Hancock said jabs would continue to be rolled out in order of clinical priority but that teachers had ‘a good shout’ to be high on the list.
‘It’s not a matter of logistics, the logistics can be organised. The challenge is the supply of vaccine, supply is the rate limiting factor,’ the Health Secretary told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday.
‘The question is who should have each dose as it comes in… and we’ve taken the decision, quite rightly, to go through in order of clinical need, starting with those who are most likely to die from this disease.
‘Of course we want to break the chains of transmission but we’ve also got to stop people dying from the disease if they catch it.
‘We’re going through those who are clinically vulnerable… and after that there’s a perfectly reasonable debate to be had about who should go in what order next.
‘Teachers have got a good shout to be very high on the list and those discussions are going on.’
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