More than 36,000 school staff and 16,000 child care providers in Maine are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Gov. Janet Mills announced on Wednesday that she would align Maine’s vaccination plan with a directive from President Joe Biden to prioritize all teachers, school staff and child care providers. The state had been using an age-based vaccination strategy, with residents 60 or older becoming eligible on Wednesday.
School officials and educators say that vaccinations will ease stresses on staff and help to keep schools open, as many have had to temporarily go remote because of staff shortages this year.
Eileen King, executive director of the Maine School Superintendents Association, cautions that schools still need to abide by state health and safety requirements, including physical distancing, meaning many likely won’t be able to fully reopen.
“We want the children back in school. But we also have these six safety protocols that we’re required to follow, that is prohibiting schools from opening up more fully than they are already are,” she says.
State officials say that retailers participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, such as Hannaford and Walgreens, must provide access to appointments, “exclusively to school staff and licensed child care workers moving forward.”
State agencies say they’re also continuing to work provide streamlined access to vaccinations for educators over age 60.
The state says Maine’s vaccine clinics will begin accepting appointments for educators as soon as they can.
In a statement Wednesday, Maine Education Association President Grace Leavitt said that the union “and its pre-K-12 members are breathing a collective sigh of relief tonight.”
She said that educators “have worked daily” to keep buildings safe despite the difficult conditions during the pandemic.
“The knowledge that a vaccine is now more of a reality and not a hope will go a long way in both easing the fears of educators statewide while also allowing for schools to remain safe and open,” Leavitt said.
