Norma Foley tells teachers new vaccine schedule is unlikely to change
Norma Foley said she understands the disappointment about the recent changes to the roll-out.
The Government is unlikely to revise its decision on the new vaccine rollout schedule, the Minister for Education has indicated to teachers.
The three teaching unions are due to bring a shared, emergency motion to delegates tomorrow, demanding vaccine prioritisation for teachers.
If it passes, it will see members balloted on taking industrial action.
Addressing the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) annual conference this Tuesday, Norma Foley said she understands the disappointment about the recent changes to the roll-out.
However, the change has been driven by new evidence that shows age is the “strongest predictor” of whether a person who contracts Covid-19 will be admitted to hospital or ICU or die, according to Ms Foley.
According to the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), 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, Ms. Foley said.
However, John Boyle, INTO general secretary, told the Minister that it appeared her Government did not care about teachers who contract the virus, or who suffer the "excruciating and debilitating" impacts of long Covid.
"Rather, concern appears only to be with decreasing hospitalisations and taking the easy rather than the fair approach to vaccination."
“When our members returned to schools in February and 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.,” he said.
“Your government broke that promise.” “The new group nine on 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?”
