Queensland teachers’ union in push for vaccine priority

Queensland lecturers are pushing to be recognised as a precedence workforce group within the nationwide rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine alongside different frontline employees.

Queensland Lecturers’ Union president Cresta Richardson mentioned it was disappointing lecturers weren’t thought of as a workforce group within the vaccination schedule when final yr lecturers and principals have been thought of important employees.

However the federal well being division says the three precedence teams recognized for the rollout are these at elevated danger of publicity — those that have an elevated danger, relative to others, of creating extreme illness or outcomes from COVID 19; and people working in companies essential to societal functioning.

It comes because the coronavirus vaccine rollout in Queensland begins on Monday, with the primary 100 Pfizer jabs to be administered on the Gold Coast.

Vaccine phases

The primary section contains as much as 678,000 quarantine and border employees, frontline well being care employees, aged care and incapacity care workers and residents with as much as 1.four million doses in section 1a, beneath the Nationwide Rollout Technique.

Aged adults 70 or over, different well being care employees, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks older than 55, youthful adults with an underlying medical situation, and significant and high-risk employees together with defence, police, emergency companies and meat processing, are within the second section of as much as 6,139,000 folks and 14.eight million doses.

The subsequent section, 2a, would see adults aged 50 and older, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks aged 18-54, and different essential and excessive danger employees earlier than section 2b which might see the steadiness of the final inhabitants of as much as 6,643,000 vaccinated with as much as 16 million doses.

‘Lecturers thought of important’

Ms Richardson mentioned the union was advocating lecturers be given extra precedence for the vaccine, given they have been thought of important frontline employees in the course of the top of the pandemic in 2020, and significant to protecting colleges open for important employees youngsters.

“It is necessary for well being officers and officers to see us as a precedence workforce group and for lecturers and faculty leaders,” she mentioned.

“Our view is that we must be seen as a precedence, as a workforce group, throughout the vaccination rollout record, alongside different frontline employees.”

The pandemic prompted the state authorities to shut colleges to college students, for as much as six weeks throughout April and Might, aside from offspring of important employees and weak youngsters.

Different pupils in Prep, Years 1,11 and 12 have been required to study remotely for 4 weeks, whereas these in Years 2-10 have been dwelling education for 4 weeks.

“Final yr within the lockdown, colleges and other people in them have been thought of essential to the functioning of society,” Ms Ricardson mentioned.

Ms Richardson mentioned the union would proceed consulting with authorities about shifting lecturers and faculty leaders up on the precedence record.

A federal well being division spokesperson mentioned the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine roadmap was established based mostly on the recommendation of the Australian technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).

“Any change in precedence populations, could be based mostly on the recommendation of unbiased medical specialists such because the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation,” the spokesperson mentioned.