Tue | Jan 27, 2026

CDC: Schools can reopen without teachers taking COVID shots

Published:Wednesday | February 3, 2021 | 1:40 PM
In this December 22, 2020, file photo, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks before receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Fauci suggests fans enjoy the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 7, 2021, with people in their household. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)

WASHINGTON — The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says schools can safely reopen even if teachers are not vaccinated for the coronavirus.

As some teachers’ unions balk at resuming in-person instruction before teachers are inoculated, Dr Rochelle Walensky says, “Vaccination of teachers is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools.”

Walensky cited CDC data showing that social distancing and wearing a mask significantly reduce the spread of the virus in school settings.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients called for Congress to pass additional funding to ensure schools have the resources necessary to support reopening.

President Joe Biden has pledged to ensure nearly all K-8 schools will reopen for in-person instruction in the first 100 days of his administration.

Teachers are prioritised as “essential workers” under the CDC’s vaccination plans, though many have yet to receive doses as the nation continues to face a supply shortage of the vaccine.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.