Ft. Bend Co. Judge wants teachers moved up in vaccine order
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Some teachers in southeast Texas want priority to get the COVID-19 vaccine after health care workers and vulnerable populations.
Candis Houston with the Aldine American Federation of Teachers said with class sizes growing, many educators and support staff report wanting access to the vaccine.
"I think it's very important that we don't just speak about teachers, that we speak about school employees because our organization represents teachers, bus drivers, and clerical," explained Houston. "All school employees are front line workers and they should be prioritized when it comes to the vaccine."
Meanwhile, Andrew Dewey with the Houston Federation of Teachers said access to vaccines for school staff is important for public education and the economy.
"It's just essential [that school employees] be given the protection of the vaccine," said Dewey. "Then they can get back to the hard work of rebuilding public education. It's just been way different since March."
Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George wrote a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday asking for teachers to be moved up on the priority list.
"As more students go back to in-person schooling, the likelihood of contracting the virus from young individuals who are often asymptomatic can increase," wrote George in the letter.
