California now setting aside 75,000 vaccines for teachers
OAKLAND, Calif. - Starting Monday, the state of California will hold 10%, or about 75,000 vaccines, to give exclusively to education workers.
That's after Gov.Gavin Newsom announced teachers would get that priority on Feb. 19. Teachers are already permitted to receive vaccines under the 1b tier of the state's priority system.
The state, along with the Centers for Disease Control, has often said vaccinations are not required to return to the classroom safely, however, Newsom and local teacher's unions want to provide that option to give peace of mind.
Education workers will be given a one-time priority code to use when booking an appointment online.
On Friday, teachers in Solano County took part in a mass vaccination event.
"Hopefully we can go back and do face-to-face learning," said Veronica Quintana, a paraeducator. "The future will tell what's next. Hopefully its for the best."
Even within the educators' tier, there are priorities to consider; teachers currently teaching in-person or those returning in the next 21 days will receive top priority.
Beyond teachers, priority will also include bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodial workers and administrators.