Schools should not wait for all teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to reopen, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it is “important” that educators receive the vaccine, but there is no need to resume classes.
“It is clear that this is not a sine qua non. It cannot be said that we will not open any school unless all the teachers are vaccinated, “Fauci said Said Jim Sciutto, anchor of CNN.
Fauci said states should prioritize teachers for vaccination, following other health guidelines, such as masking, sanitation, and social distancing.
“They are a priority when it comes to essential staff, but we believe we can move forward as we vaccinate teachers, but it doesn’t have to be that if they’re not vaccinated you can’t open the school,” Fauci said.
Fauci’s recommendations are in line with the new guidelines for disease control and prevention centers to return to schools.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, told reporters that vaccinating teachers is “an additional layer of protection,” but that it focuses on other public health recommendations.
“We know that most school clusters have occurred when there are breaches in mask placement,” Walensky said.
The CDC last week released its guide to reopening schools.