Vaccination of school staff to start this week
Health Department will only call up the 125,000 workers under 55, which will receive doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine
The vaccination campaign for about 125,000 workers in primary and secondary schools will begin this week, as reported by TV3 and confirmed to ARA by government sources. The vaccine to be used will be that of AstraZeneca and, therefore, only workers under 55 may receive it, as the State does not authorise its use on older people. Health Department sources have not given any dates for the start of the campaign, although it is expected to be in the next few days.
Staff will have to sign up on a website which will distribute vaccination turns. Workers will receive a mobile phone message confirming their appointment, including the day, place and time agreed. The administration of the doses will be done in the 37 vaccination points spread throughout the territory, where other groups are already being vaccinated.
Just a week ago, Catalan Education Minister Josep Bargalló announced that the 150,000 professionals in the education sector (teachers, monitors, administrative and service staff) would be vaccinated against covid-19 in the next three months. The aim is for workers to be vaccinated before the start of next school year, meaning both doses will have to be administered before September. However, it seems that the Health Department has streamlined plans and wants to start vaccinating them in the coming days, as it is already doing with health workers who do not see covid patients (pharmacists, clinical psychologists or podiatrists) and other essential groups, such as firefighters, police or prison officers.
Workers over 55 will have to be a little more patient until it is their turn to be vaccinated, as they will have to take the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or wait for the State to change its criteria on the AstraZeneca vaccine. In fact, the Ministry of Health does not rule out extending the age range if new evidence of its effectiveness is found.
According to the executive, the vaccine will definitely reach all educational staff, regardless of the kind of centre or the age groups they teach. This means staff from state, subsidised, faith and private schools will receive the jab.
