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The National Union of Teachers proposes that teachers be given priority for vaccination against covid-19, as many find it difficult to maintain distance from their workplace. – Sweden has chosen to keep primary school open as usual during the pandemic, so I think it is important to see how to protect teachers, says President Åsa Fahlén.
Teachers often find it difficult to maintain social distance in classrooms. Stock photo of Limhamn high school.
Åsa Fahlén points out that the proposal is not unique in its kind.
– Now that a vaccine is coming, you need to have a discussion about this. Countries such as Belgium, Germany and Russia have already submitted proposals to give priority to teachers, he continues.
Åsa Fahlén says there is widespread concern among teachers that they find it difficult to protect themselves from infections at work.
– In a classroom, it can often be difficult, especially when student groups are large and students have special needs.
TT: Children don’t seem to spread the infection to the same extent, doesn’t that speak against teachers being particularly vulnerable?
– When you have observed the spread of infection among teachers so far, you have looked at primary school teachers as a group, you have divided it into different stages, the picture seems to be different. For example, there is a study by researchers at Uppsala University that shows that secondary school teachers are overrepresented. But regardless, social distance in school is difficult and therefore teachers should be prioritized.
The National Union of Teachers is now calling for more detailed studies on what the spread of the infection looks like in different parts of compulsory school. The association argues that vaccination should be prioritized within the various groups of teachers based on the results.
– Vaccination may be a necessary complement in cases where there appears to be a spread of the infection and it is not possible to maintain social distance.
And it’s not just about the health of teachers; In the long run, this can affect the whole of society, says Åsa Fahlén.
– It is about minimizing the loss of knowledge that we know will be a consequence of the pandemic. If more teachers and students get sick because there is a spread of the infection in the school, the loss will be greater and we probably all want to avoid that, he says.
