Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has recently announced that Oklahoma educators will be moved higher on the list of those receiving the COVID vaccine.
“Our teachers are so important to our children and to our state,” Stitt said in an annoucement. “I know they’ve battled through many challenges this year to change how they teach to try and make sure their students don’t fall through the cracks. That’s why I’m so proud to work with Commissioner Frye and the Oklahoma State Department of Health to prioritize our educators for the COVID-19 vaccine and help get our kids back in the classroom.”
Teachers are currently on Phases Two of the COVID vaccine process, meaning they will be receiving the vaccine around the same time as the police, firefighters and grocery workers.
Though teachers are under this list, first responders, “outpatient health care workers”, and people age 65 and older will be prioritized and therefore will be getting the vaccine first. Teachers who teach grades kindergarten through 12th grade will be receiving the vaccine after the people who need it most in Phase Two, yet it is unclear when exactly they will get the vaccine or if they will get it all at the same time.
Teachers that are older in age and have been teaching longer will have a higher chance of getting the COVID-19 virus from their work and could possibly have a greater chance of exposure to the virus than others. These factors could lead to these certain teachers getting the vaccine sooner.
Teachers that have pre-existing medical conditions could also get the vaccine way sooner than other teachers. Other than that information, it is unclear to medical professionals exactly when teachers will have the chance to receive the vaccine.
