SASKATOON -- Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) president Patrick Maze says the province’s plan to vaccinate students in high schools and elementary schools in June is welcome news.
“I think it’s really important that vaccines do take place in schools. We have to meet students where they are,” he told CTV News.
"I know teachers will be excited to hear that another layer of protection is being afforded once students in their classrooms get vaccinated.”
The province said students will only receive the Pfizer vaccine as it has been approved for use in people 12 and up following clinical trials in adolescents aged 12 to 15.
More than 90,000 doses will be designated for the 12-plus age group.
No start date has been set, but the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said it is working with school representatives and school divisions to figure out the logistics and determine which dates and locations work best. Plans will vary by city and school.
The vaccines will be administered at schools during a three-week period before school lets out for the summer, according to the SHA.
While Maze said it would’ve been nice to see this happen earlier in the school year rather than right before the summer break, it is important to get the vaccine as it becomes available.
He added that having it available through schools can also help improve uptake from students.
“We want to make it as accessible as possible, and we know that if there’s barriers, including just not having the ability to get it done during the day or away from their school then there will be more reluctance to get it done,” Maze said.
Yasar Mirza has four kids under the age of 12 and while they can’t yet receive a vaccine, he said he’ll feel more safe sending them to school if others are vaccinated.
“To stop this pandemic, we need to work together, we need to work on getting vaccinated, each and every person needs to be vaccinated whether a child or adult,” he said.
However, another parent, Britt Lowen, is hesitant.
“We’re not really for the vaccines and so right now, we’re just going to hold off and see what happens to everyone else that’s getting them.”
Written consent will be required for students 12 to 17 years old and will only need to be given one time for the two doses.
That consent can be given by 13-to-17-year-old teens themselves under Saskatchewan law.
“We really encourage parents to be active in discussions with their children, reviewing the information packages that are going to be provided through the schools and discuss them with their kids and talk about the importance of vaccination,” said Derek Miller, the SHA’s executive director of infrastructure management.
Students who don’t want to wait until the immunization program starts in schools can access the vaccine through a walk-in clinic, drive-thru, or pharmacy administering the Pfizer vaccine. They can also book an appointment through the SHA online or over the phone.
Right now, people 16 years of age and older are eligible for the vaccine, and that age is expected to drop to 12 and up on Thursday.
In addition to helping students get their first dose, Maze it would be helpful if teachers and other frontline school staff are able to get their second dose through schools when they’re eligible.
He said rapid testing also needs to be prioritized until students are fully vaccinated.
Students must wait a minimum of 21 days before getting their second dose. The province said it expects to be able to provide second doses to students in July and August, and that school-based vaccinations could run in the fall if second dose uptake is slower than anticipated.
Maze said it brings hope for the upcoming school year.
“I think it’ll do wonders to lower anxiety levels in our schools. We know schools are really the one place in society in Saskatchewan and right across the country where we’ve kind of turned our backs on the notion of social distancing. It’s just not possible when you’ve got more than 30 students in a classroom,” he said.
“To be able to kind of lower their guard a little more once that’s all done and go back to regular ways of teaching including group work and better face-to-face learning, so it’s going to make a huge difference in our school system.
'We have to meet students where they are': Sask. Teachers' Federation supports COVID-19 vaccine rollout in schools - CTV News Saskatoon
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