B.C. teachers dissapointed with COVID-19 vaccination plans

As British Columbians find out when they will likely receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there are those who are pleasantly surprised and others who say they feel left behind. Ashley Burr has more.

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The union representing teachers in B.C. calls the province’s immunization plan disappointing for its members, saying that essential frontline workers aren’t high enough on the list.

A statement from BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) President Teri Mooring acknowledges the “collective duty” to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes ensuring elders aren’t at risk, Mooring doesn’t agree with how the province will be distributing COVID-19 vaccines.

RELATED: B.C. to use age as determining factor for remaining vaccine rollout

“BC teachers, like many others, will be disappointed to see there is no prioritization for the frontline workers who have kept our schools, public services, and economy open,” Mooring writes.

She argues without if teachers aren’t prioritized for vaccines, then the province should improve safety measures.

“There is no denying that teachers are stressed, anxious, and even afraid. We do not have the layers of protection in our schools that exist in other environments,” Mooring writes.

RELATED: Teachers’ union calls on province to give B.C. schools COVID-19 direction over health officials

“We must have a mandatory mask mandate, we must have better physical distancing measures, and we must have ventilation upgrades for our classrooms. Schools need the same safety measures as every single other workplace. This government and school districts must do more.”

The BCTF has been calling for a mask mandate from the province throughout the pandemic, and it has pushed for improved physical distancing measures and upgrades to ventilation systems.

Mooring says she accepts that vaccine supply is completely out of the province’s and federal government’s control.

RELATED: Canada’s next Pfizer vaccine shipment deferred

B.C. has updated its vaccine plan after a production line issue has delayed Pfizer shipments to Canada. 

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