Rep. Payne, Jr. Pushes for Increased Teacher Vaccinations to Protect Students and Staff
Media Contact: Patrick Wright -- Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. wants to see a greater emphasis on teacher vaccinations nationwide in order to protect students and staff.
Rep. Payne, Jr. wrote a letter today to Norris Cochran, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and asked him to make teacher vaccinations the highest priority as the country tries to return to normal during the coronavirus global pandemic.
"The science has shown that we can reopen schools if we take the proper precautions to protect staff and student safety," said Rep. Payne, Jr. "If we can vaccinate all school staff, I know parents would feel better about sending their children to school full time and teachers would feel better about in-person instruction. That is why we must increase our efforts to improve vaccination rates for all staff in our nation's schools."
In the letter, Rep. Payne, Jr. asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to "use every available and appropriate tool at your disposal to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for educators." He pointed out that the "lack of in-person instruction has taken a terrible toll on our students, with children suffering increased suicide ideation, depressive thoughts, and feelings of isolation and hopelessness." Many districts have reopened schools and caused teachers, administrators, custodial staff, and other school employees to risk coronavirus infections to teach students.
The full letter is below.
February 11, 2021
The Honorable Norris Cochran
Acting Secretary
United States Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Dear Acting Secretary Cochran:
I write to respectfully request the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) use every available and appropriate tool at your disposal to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for educators.
For nearly a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced school districts nationwide to transfer to remote learning. The lack of in-person instruction has taken a terrible toll on our students, with children suffering increased suicide ideation, depressive thoughts, and feelings of isolation and hopelessness. In school districts that remained open, teachers, administrators, custodial staff, nurses, and others have bravely gone to work at their school each day, knowing the risks for both themselves and their loved ones.
With the FDA approval of two vaccines and more are currently in the approval process, the end of this terrible pandemic is in sight. Unfortunately, the Trump administration's decision to leave vaccine rollout plans to the states has left us with a bewildering patchwork of distribution plans without any strategic goals.
Fortunately, President Biden has announced a plan to reopen schools within the first hundred days. As part of this goal, we must ensure that as many teachers as possible are vaccinated against COVID-19. To help states achieve this goal, I respectfully submit the following questions:
- What, if any, guidance is HHS currently providing to states on vaccination prioritization?
- If so, does HHS guidance incorporate the importance of resuming in-person instruction as quickly as possible?
- If not, please explain why there is no guidance to states on vaccine prioritization.
- What tools does the Secretary possess that would allow HHS to hold states accountable for slow or cumbersome vaccine rollouts?
- What aid is available to state health agencies that would help them build this vaccination infrastructure?
- Are there any authorities that Congress should provide to the Secretary to help states prioritize vaccinations for teachers?
Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter, and I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Donald M. Payne, Jr.
Member of Congress