The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
    • Contact
  • Investigations
    • Data
  • Donate
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Yarmouth Clam Fest Vegan Options? Redditors For The Maine Tradition Are Steamed
  • Operation Take Back America: Chinese Nationals Plead Guilty in $92M Drug Money Laundering Scheme
  • New Maine Energy Law Promises Ratepayer Relief, but Instead Delivers Political Cover for Democrats in the 2026 Midterms
  • Talks Between Northern Light and Anthem Stall as Deadline for New Contract Approaches
  • New York Man Arrested for Online Threats on X Against ICE Agents, Agents’ Children
  • DCNF EXCLUSIVE: USAID Quietly Sent Thousands Of Viruses To Chinese Military-Linked Biolab 
  • Feds Charge Seven Chinese Nationals in Bay State Drug, Money Laundering, Smuggling Scheme
  • Lewiston Police Arrest Man for Possession of Sexually Explicit Material of a Child Under 12
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Wednesday, July 9
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
    • Contact
  • Investigations
    • Data
  • Donate
The Maine Wire
Home » News » Coronavirus » Teachers don’t need to be vaccinated for Maine schools to reopen safely
Coronavirus

Teachers don’t need to be vaccinated for Maine schools to reopen safely

Jacob PosikBy Jacob PosikMarch 3, 2021Updated:March 3, 2021No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Governor Janet Mills updated Maine’s statewide vaccination plan Wednesday to make teachers and childcare providers, regardless of age, eligible for vaccination following a directive from President Joe Biden on Tuesday for states to inoculate these workers by the end of March.

The move comes just days after Mills announced the state would abandon the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended vaccine strategy and adopt one that prioritizes inoculations based on age. The change went into effect Wednesday, the same day Mills updated the state’s vaccine plan again to include teachers and childcare providers.

According to the administration’s release, 10,632 Mainers who work in schools and childcare facilities were already eligible for a vaccine under the new age-based approach. By allowing all school and childcare staff to be vaccinated regardless of age, an additional 36,400 school employees and 16,000 childcare providers are now eligible.

Under the new policy, pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, which includes Hannaford, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies, are directed to grant access to “available appointments exclusively to school staff and licensed child care workers moving forward.” The release was less clear about when and how school staff and childcare providers could sign up for appointments at a vaccine site operated by the state.

“Additionally, vaccine clinics in Maine will begin accepting appointments for school staff and licensed child care workers as soon as they are able,” the release said, directing these Mainers to use the state’s COVID-19 vaccination website to find up-to-date information on local clinics accepting appointments.

Nearly every interest group has lobbied state officials around the country to be placed at the front of the line for vaccination. Teachers unions have been particularly vocal in their calls for prioritization, in addition to other demands well outside the scope of their bargaining capabilities.

In July 2020, the union representing Los Angeles’ K-12 public school teachers demanded the state defund the police and enact Medicare-for-All and a wealth taxes before teachers would return to work. Another union in San Francisco demanded “the installation of lids on every toilet” before its members would go back to work.

As noted by The Washington Post, teachers’ unions have resisted returning to the classroom in many communities and Biden’s directive on Tuesday was meant to remove a major barrier to reopening schools: the supposed need for teachers to be vaccinated.

But as Biden’s own CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters on February 3, teachers don’t need to be vaccinated for schools across the country to reopen safely.

“There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated in order to reopen safely, Walensky said last month. “Vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for the safe reopening of schools.”

As noted Wednesday on Twitter by Mike Shepherd, politics editor of the Bangor Daily News, recent data in Maine suggest COVID-19 isn’t all that prevalent in the classroom.

One of the rubs with Maine now vaccinating teachers is that school staff and students just aren’t getting COVID-19 that much.

For them, 25 cases per 10,000 over the last month. Everyone else is at 81 per 10,000. #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/163T9Ckwgx

— Michael Shepherd (@mikeshepherdME) March 3, 2021

As was the concern with Maine updating its plan to prioritize vaccination based on age, there are still younger Mainers with certain underlying health conditions who are waiting in line for a vaccine, and who are potentially more vulnerable than healthier, older Mainers. These individuals will continue to wait as healthy 20- and 30-something-year-old teachers and childcare providers get vaccinated before them.

Since the state’s vaccine supply is still limited, it has, and always will, make the most sense to prioritize vaccinations based on risk. Those who are at greatest risk of death from COVID-19 should be vaccinated first. Those with the least amount of risk should be vaccinated last.

As much as we want our schools to be open and our kids to be back where they belong, it’s not necessary for teachers to be vaccinated for schools to reopen safely. Unfortunately, our leaders don’t have the political courage to tell teachers unions the truth.

Commentary coronavirus COVID-19 Featured governor janet mills Janet Mills Joe Biden president joe biden Public Unions statewide vaccination plan teachers union unions vaccination vaccine
Previous ArticleBangor area residents launch ballot initiative to reform governor’s emergency powers
Next Article Rand Paul, Ron Wyden want to end endless national emergencies
Jacob Posik

Jacob Posik, of Turner, is the director of legislative affairs at Maine Policy Institute. He formerly served as policy analyst and communications director at Maine Policy, as well as editor of the Maine Wire. Posik can be reached at jposik@mainepolicy.org.

Subscribe to Substack

Related Posts

Talks Between Northern Light and Anthem Stall as Deadline for New Contract Approaches

July 9, 2025

Northern Light Health Signals Staffing and Program Cuts Imminent Amidst Financial Struggles

July 3, 2025

‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Could Shutter Hundreds Of Planned Parenthood Clinics

July 2, 2025

Leave A Reply

Subscribe to Substack
Recent News

Yarmouth Clam Fest Vegan Options? Redditors For The Maine Tradition Are Steamed

July 9, 2025

Talks Between Northern Light and Anthem Stall as Deadline for New Contract Approaches

July 9, 2025

New York Man Arrested for Online Threats on X Against ICE Agents, Agents’ Children

July 9, 2025

DCNF EXCLUSIVE: USAID Quietly Sent Thousands Of Viruses To Chinese Military-Linked Biolab 

July 9, 2025

Feds Charge Seven Chinese Nationals in Bay State Drug, Money Laundering, Smuggling Scheme

July 8, 2025
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.