Plan to prioritize school staff for vaccines leaves other workers frustrated
Teachers and school staff across Washington are setting up appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine after yesterday’s announcement by President Joe Biden that all school faculty must be prioritized.
Here in Washington, that means a quarter-million people working in education and childcare will be prioritized. But some workers in other industries fear that they are being left behind.
Sarah Cherin, vice president of United Food and Commercial Workers, said the 46,000 members she represents work in a variety of industries, and their roles are just as vital when it comes to meeting essential needs.
“We’re not saying teachers aren’t essential, we’re saying grocery store workers are just as essential.”
Western states workgroup clears Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada, following the authorization by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.
The authorization follows an initial authorization by the FDA and CDC.
“The Workgroup’s authorization gives us further confidence around the safety and efficacy of the J & J vaccine,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “Like the other two, this vaccine offers strong protection against serious illness from COVID-19, which is critical in our fight against this deadly virus.
The group of states last year agreed to review COVID-19 vaccines with federal emergency approval, before approving them for the states. The western states have made several pacts in the government's response to coronavirus.
Washington teachers now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine, Inslee announces
Washington state teachers and childcare workers are now among those who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Jay Inslee announced.
Inslee said Tuesday afternoon that educators and licensed childcare workers are moving up to Washington's Phase 1B-Tier 1 immediately.
While teachers and educators can start making appointments right away, the state's Phase Finder tool may take time to update.
Nearly 15% of Washington state vaccinated
As of March 1, 2021, the state has issued more than 1.76 million total doses of vaccine. About 14.9% of the state's population — 1,122,287 people — have initiated vaccination and have had at least one shot, according to the Washington State Department of Health's COVID-19 data dashboard.
In that group, 63,1687 — or 8.37% — have been fully vaccinated.
The county leader on vaccination is Clallam County, with more than 30% of its population receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Lewis County has the smallest percentage, with just over 8% of its population initiating vaccination so far. Read more
Reports: Trump, Melania received COVID-19 vaccine at White House in January
Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump received the coronavirus vaccine while they were still at the White House in January, according to multiple reports.
A Trump adviser on Monday told CNN, New York Times, Axios and other news outlets that the former president received the vaccine before leaving office on Jan. 20. It's unclear which vaccine and how many doses they each received. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both of which require two doses for full efficacy, had received emergency use authorizations at that time. The Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine just got its EUA this past weekend.
How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Washington
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released an online portal to check your eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Use the Phase Finder tool to input personal information like age, health conditions and essential worker status to determine if it's your turn.
As of March 3, Washington is vaccinating people in Phase 1A and the first tier of Phase 1B. That includes:
- Teachers, school staff and childcare workers
- High-risk health care workers and first responders
- Long-term care residents
- People 65 years old and older
- People 50 years old and older in multigenerational households
If you are eligible, find a list of vaccine providers on the DOH website and information on how to make an appointment.
