CDC Director Says Teachers Do Not Need To Be Vaccinated in Order to ‘Safely Reopen’ Schools

reporter Good morning Can ░░░░░░░░ hear me HOST Yes ░░░░░░░░ Great I wondered if ░░░░░░░░ could get an update ░░░░░░░░ vaccine prioritization I know ░░░░░░░░ the previous administration this ░░░░░░░░ largely left up to ░░░░░░░░ to decide when they ░░░░░░░░ to move to the ░░░░░░░░ levels of priority But ░░░░░░░░ are seeing a lot ░░░░░░░░ states open this up ░░░░░░░░ teachers and it s ░░░░░░░░ of created a patchwork ░░░░░░░░ I just wondered if ░░░░░░░░ federal government would be ░░░░░░░░ more closely with states ░░░░░░░░ kind of get more ░░░░░░░░ to teachers in particular ░░░░░░░░ that schools can reopen ░░░░░░░░ the fall HOST Dr ░░░░░░░░ do you want to ░░░░░░░░ here Walensky Yeah Thank ░░░░░░░░ for that question You ░░░░░░░░ the Advisory Committee on ░░░░░░░░ Practices has created these ░░░░░░░░ guidance this guidance for ░░░░░░░░ we should be think ░░░░░░░░ prioritizing among all essential ░░░░░░░░ and all of the ░░░░░░░░ at large You know ░░░░░░░░ have been taken under ░░░░░░░░ from the states and ░░░░░░░░ the states are creating ░░░░░░░░ own individual plans And ░░░░░░░░ know those plans have ░░░░░░░░ sort of be in ░░░░░░░░ with how they are ░░░░░░░░ to titrate really their ░░░░░░░░ versus the number of ░░░░░░░░ who are wanting it ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ too prescriptive so that ░░░░░░░░ have these queues of ░░░░░░░░ and we don t ░░░░░░░░ to be too open ░░░░░░░░ they also have queues ░░░░░░░░ people We don t ░░░░░░░░ too much supply on ░░░░░░░░ shelf So we ve ░░░░░░░░ that to the states ░░░░░░░░ manage in terms of ░░░░░░░░ a prioritization but also ░░░░░░░░ it at their local ░░░░░░░░ That said I want ░░░░░░░░ be very clear about ░░░░░░░░ which is yes ASAP ░░░░░░░░ put teachers in the ░░░░░░░░ category the category of ░░░░░░░░ workers but I also ░░░░░░░░ to be clear that ░░░░░░░░ is increasing data to ░░░░░░░░ that schools can safely ░░░░░░░░ and that that safe ░░░░░░░░ does not suggest that ░░░░░░░░ need to be vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ order to reopen safely ░░░░░░░░ while we are implementing ░░░░░░░░ criteria of advisory committee ░░░░░░░░ of the state and ░░░░░░░░ guidances to get vaccination ░░░░░░░░ these eligible communities I ░░░░░░░░ also say that safe ░░░░░░░░ of schools is not ░░░░░░░░ vaccination of teachers is ░░░░░░░░ a prerequisite for safe ░░░░░░░░ of schools HOST Let ░░░░░░░░ add here you know ░░░░░░░░ Biden has been very ░░░░░░░░ that he wants schools ░░░░░░░░ reopen and actually to ░░░░░░░░ open And that means ░░░░░░░░ every school has equipment ░░░░░░░░ resources to open safely ░░░░░░░░ just private schools or ░░░░░░░░ in wealthy areas but ░░░░░░░░ schools And that s ░░░░░░░░ we need the American ░░░░░░░░ Plan passed now It ░░░░░░░░ money to get schools ░░░░░░░░ access to testing enable ░░░░░░░░ class sizes acquire the ░░░░░░░░ ventilation ensure everyone has ░░░░░░░░ and that schools are ░░░░░░░░ sanitized It also includes ░░░░░░░░ needed funds to support ░░░░░░░░ learning and social emotional ░░░░░░░░ of our kids in ░░░░░░░░ has been an extremely ░░░░░░░░ difficult year So again ░░░░░░░░ has to do its ░░░░░░░░ in order to make ░░░░░░░░ that we can safely ░░░░░░░░ schools and keep them ░░░░░░░░