I still cannot understand why it is so hard to wear a mask. I have nothing productive to add here, so I probably shouldn’t post, but I just feel so frustrated.
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I am very surprised he would drop tbe mandate before vaccines were available to all adults in Texas.
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Hey, but 6% of the people in Harris County have been vaccinated! Ack.
I dont think common sense was the motivating factor
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There are lots of people who seem to want to “go back to normal” right now rather than wait a few more weeks or months for vaccines (based on actual observed behavior). We saw that in November and December, and “social distance and mask fatigue” is likely greater now, although it is being mitigated by no more traditional family get together holidays and nicer weather in many places that encourages outdoor instead of indoor activity.
I wonder if states are going to change their priority classifications now that Biden says teachers should get it by the end of the month. Teachers aren’t eligible yet in MA and the system isn’t close to being able to accommodate those that are currently eligible. Are teachers now going to get to play the Hunger Games on Thursday mornings along with all the 65+ and those with two comorbidities?
Massachusetts demographics suggest that the “hunger games” chase for vaccines will go on longer there because its overrepresented demographics relative to the overall US population are mostly those with lower rates of vaccine refusal.
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They can have school districts contract separately with the covid providers (hospital systems, pharmacies). That’s how they did it in Colorado and teachers were eligible starting Feb 8 and almost all the teachers I know got their first shots within 10 days and are now getting their second. The different major districts in the metro area all used different providers and a lot of clinics were set up. The teachers were not happy when the original plan was announced but it was clear pretty quickly that they’d all get their shots quickly.
We’ve now moved on to two other major groups, grocery store workers and agriculture workers. They expect most grocery store workers to get theirs through their in-store pharmacies (Kroger, CVS, Safeway) and that the employers will set up workplace clinics for meat processing plants, sugar beet factories, farms. That leaves the medical clinics for the others in the groups (over 60, medical conditions)
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Arizona opened up to 55+ today and DH and I got appointments tomorrow! I’m so happy I can’t stop crying.
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Awesome! How quickly can I change residency CO → AZ? Just kidding.
Michigan is expanding vaccines to autoworkers in Detroit.
Teacher’s in Michigan are being vaccinated through their school district, not in the pool that the general public is in.
Michigan = strong unions
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Political pull of lifeguards?
Yes, we continue to be a national embarrassment 
Thank God I have my second Pfizer shot on Friday morning.
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In CT, many school districts are having vaccine clinics for their staff. This enables them to get a lot of people in one place, and also allows them to do the vaccines on Saturday…just in case there are side effects.
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NC opened up to anyone working in-person in education and other essential fields. College kids working in on-campus jobs qualify.
I have no personal complaints, as my family was able to get vaccinated relatively easily, but I hope for the good of the country we all use age-based guidelines next time ( after in-person hospital staff and first responders). The disparities seem crazy and unnecessary.
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I feel like we can argue about this all day (and in fact, for a year!! 
)
There is no great “one way” to do it! For a few months we were largely LOCKED DOWN. Most people staying home nearly all the time, minus true essential workers. Remember when you would drive your car (like you only drove it maybe once a week) and there would be no one on the road?)
Slowly over the summer - really after Memorial Day - people started getting out more - in person to stores for supplies, socially outside, more trips to work. WFH became a little more “flexible” instead of mandatory. Even if not “essential” some jobs can’t be done from a home office. Over time and months, EVERYTHING became more lax and even workplaces returned workers to the office and teachers to schools.
Who can stay home like in those early days? Can people who don’t work or who are retired stay home more easily? (this is debatable, I know) - should they be later down the line of who should get a vaccine because they can more easily not mingle in the community?
It’s all a crap shoot. (can I say that “c” word?)
No one should doubt that teachers should get the vaccine. It is a crying shame that many states have not included child care workers in that same lot.
Anyone who has to spend time in a room with multiple humans becomes at risk because that is like being in a room with multiple families whose lifestyles you have no control over.
There is no one good way. We are doing the best we can - as of late at least - and cross fingers that the train keeps picking up speed getting supply and demand in check.
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So far in NY, city and state employees have an easier time lobbying the mayor/governor to be included. So yes. For example, if you work as a building maintenance person in a Housing Authority apartment, you are eligible. Same job in a regular condo, not eligible.
I’m not arguing who does or doesn’t deserve to be vaccinated (lifeguards give mouth-to-mouth, so will be at risk.) I just think adding these onesies and twosies of eligible groups is slowing the entire process down at a time when the variant is spreading here.
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Happy to include teachers if they work in person, or will do so as soon as they are vaccinated.
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I don’t of course know the situation across the entire country but I believe that is the goal. Vaccines for teachers, in person school for kids. Kids in school = more parents back at work.
My son is a teacher and has been back in school with kids for a week armed with just the first vaccine. I could argue that they should be fully vaccinated before they return to the classroom. As he said, it’s been 49 weeks since they have been in class - why not wait the extra 2-3 weeks till staff is fully vaccinated? But the deal with our governor was “I give you the vaccine, you are in class by March 1”. It was a little ugly there for a bit.
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I think we tend to see things through our own lenses.
On the other hand, do young teachers who teach in a school masked, the kids masked with spacing need to be vaccinated right away? The CDC says that’s safe.
But when you vaccinate all school system employees and child care workers, you don’t have enough vaccine for grocery store workers, retail workers, utility workers and all other types of essential workers. Don’t forget those with co-morbidities.
I get that we need to get kids back to school. But we also need our grocery stores to stay open, our lights and heat to stay on.
There is a directive that school system employees and child care workers should be vaccinated by the end of March. They did that because states decided that others have priority.
It’s supply and demand. Not enough supply, too much demand. For every group you include, you exclude another group.
Im not against teachers being vaccinated and that kids need to get back to school.