Philly teachers need COVID-19 booster shots — and School District support | Opinion

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are likely here to stay. As more mutations make their way around the world, we will most likely need additional COVID-19 shots throughout our lifetimes, similar to how we get flu shots each year. Most Philadelphia teachers like me are due for their booster shots — and we need more help from the School District of Philadelphia to stay safe.

On Oct. 9, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona tweeted encouragement for educators who received the Pfizer shot to get a booster if more than six months have passed since their last shot, based on advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Food and Drug Administration has since approved boosters for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, as well.

But recently, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. sent out an email saying the School District had no plans to offer booster vaccine clinics to staff; he encouraged staff to get boosters on their own. That’s not good enough.

This is a sharp contrast to district behavior when the vaccines were initially rolled out. In February, the School District partnered with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to vaccinate staff, and it was a relatively seamless process. At the time, staff and students were being sent back into buildings on a hybrid schedule for the first time in about a year. Teachers and staff were happy with this effort, even if it did not change how we felt about the extra layers of protection needed to stay safe (masks, social distancing, ventilation, and disinfecting). This vaccine effort was arguably one of the best things the School District did to protect its staff when returning to buildings, vaccinating over 19,000 education staff members. This program is now “complete,” according to CHOP’s website.

“If the vaccine is so important that it is mandated (which has my full support), then why are boosters not also being mandated as they come out?”

I, along with many of my colleagues, received the Pfizer shot from CHOP; my last dose was in mid-March. The CDC recommends that people working in high-risk settings (such as education/child care) get a booster as soon as it has been six months since their last shot.

The School District of Philadelphia needs to stay proactive regarding boosters if it wants to keep its staff, students, and community safe. As teachers face extreme staffing shortages, COVID-19 outbreaks, increased behavior problems in students, and the “normal” stressors of teaching (excessive testing, meetings, lesson plans, low pay, etc.), the very least the School District could do is ensure that getting the booster is as seamless as it was in the spring.

The district acknowledges that the vaccine is a vital layer of protection for educators. It approved a vaccine mandate for its staff on Aug. 25, and staff who do not comply have to complete two COVID-19 tests per week. If the vaccine is so important that it is mandated (which has my full support), then why are boosters not also being mandated as they come out? Anything else is a show of thoughtlessness, a lack of follow-through, and a grim decision for the community.

Staff should be incentivized with a day off to get their booster shot (and a flu shot at the same time, while they’re at it). I am well aware that staffing shortages already exist, making this a big ask. However, protecting teachers’ health (and preventing teacher burnout) is good for the long-term staffing shortage.

Plus, given how closely our health is tied to that of our students, the School District must do everything it can to ensure that children ages 5-11 have access and the opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible, once it is approved for that age group. The district should start collecting pre-vaccine questionnaires from families now and encouraging families to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible.

» READ MORE: What you need to know about COVID-19 booster shots

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen the dangers of simply asking people to do the right thing, without offering access, incentives, or mandates. We’ve also seen the importance of having a functioning school system for kids, working parents, and society as a whole. To keep schools open, we have to keep teachers safe and healthy. Most teachers are due for boosters — come on, Philly schools: Don’t let us down.

Nicole Wyglendowski is a special education teacher for the School District of Philadelphia, currently on educational leave while attending graduate school.