Three major teachers unions are set to consider strike action tomorrow over the changes in the Covid-19 vaccine priority list.
Education Minister Norma Foley today defended the change, which no longer places educators in line for vaccines before the general adult population. The vaccine will now be administered according to age groups.
Speaking at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) annual conference, Norma Foley said she understands the disappointment about the recent changes to the roll-out, but the decision was based purely on science.
The Minister said: “Fundamentally, this recommendation has been driven by the fact that national and international evidence now confirms that age is the strongest predictor of whether a person who contracts COVID-19 will be admitted to hospital or ICU or die as a result of their infection.”
Minister Foley pointed to evidence from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) that a person between the age of 60 and 64 is 70 times more likely to die as a result of Covid-19 than a person aged between 30 and 24.
“This is the latest medical and scientific evidence available. This is not a value judgment on any given profession. This is simply the science,” Minister Foley said.
Reacting to the Minister’s refusal to do a U-turn on behalf of teachers, INTO general secretary John Boyle said members were “crestfallen” and said the decision showed a “blatant disregard for our members’ safety”.
Mr Boyle called on Minister Foley to strengthen her resolve, stressing that teachers want to be prioritised after the elderly/vulnerable are vaccinated.
“Reports last week seemed to suggest that your Government is not concerned about teachers who may contract this deadly virus or those who suffer the excruciating and debilitating impacts of long Covid. But, rather, concern appears only to be with decreasing hospitalisations and taking the easy rather than the fair approach,” Mr Boyle said in his address.
“It’s simply not good enough, Minister. When our members returned to schools in February/March with infection levels still extremely high, your Government promised in writing that they would be in the first one third of the population vaccinated. Last week, your Government broke that promise.
“We feel there is a creative solution available. In the new group nine, the revised list gives priority to those who work in crowded settings. Surely spending nearly six hours a day in a small room with children from 25 or more families is a crowded setting?”
The three teaching unions – INTO, TUI and ASTI – have agreed to table a joint motion to their respective congresses over the course of the next two days.