MULGREW EMAIL ON VACCINE; SOLIDARITY MEMBER RESPONSE TO UFT; ADVICE FROM DOCTOR

 The UFT's exclusive vaccine program

Dear,

The governor announced on Friday that you are now eligible as part of group 1B to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

For the past several weeks, we have been working closely with our health care partners to create a distribution network just for you.

To make this process easier, we have created a system that connects you directly to the provider, eliminating your need to search for locations on your own.

We will match our interested in-service members with our health care providers based on vaccine availability and the address we have on file.

We have also negotiated paid release time for our members if they are unable to schedule an appointment outside the workday. You can expect more information about the paid release process from the DOE.

Please fill out the survey below to express your interest in receiving the vaccine.

Fill out the survey

(This survey is linked to your unique member profile.)

UFT members working in the schools right now will receive priority in our matching process, but we plan to move quickly to match all UFT members who wish to receive the vaccine with a provider. Our goal is to ensure that no vaccine is left sitting on the shelf.

While the service we are providing should simplify the process for you, please feel free to explore all options.

After filling out the survey, we will email you with further details. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the UFT Vaccine Hotline at 212-701-9677.

Be safe, and thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Michael Mulgrew

UFT President

A member of UFT Solidarity responds to the UFT:

I have been hearing about this on Twitter. Mulgrew's email and survey come after people have been making appointments all weekend. 

I am also hearing from teachers worried if they will lose their accommodation if they are vaccinated or if this means school buildings will be opened.

I do not have answers. I will link to a very good CNN piece from a doctor that concerned older adults who want to visit grandchildren.

Some hopefully relevant parts:

CNN: Let's start with timing. When does the vaccine give you protection after you're vaccinated? How much protection does it offer?

Dr. Leana Wen: Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to give optimal protection. There is probably some level of immunity after one dose, but we don't know how complete the protection is and how long it lasts. The clinical trials were run with two doses, and you should definitely get both doses. Make sure you get the second dose of the same vaccine as the first (so if you got the Pfizer vaccine the first time, get the Pfizer the second time, too). Follow your provider's recommendations about when to get the second dose. The second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is typically given after three weeks and the Moderna after four weeks.After the second dose, it probably takes another two or three weeks to develop the optimal degree of immune protection.

Let's say you've received one dose of vaccine. After a week or two, you have some level of immunity, but you could certainly get Covid-19 if you're exposed to the coronavirus. A few weeks after the second dose, studies have shown that the vaccine efficacy is approximately 95%. That's a very high level of protection but it's not 100%. So even after getting both doses of the vaccine, you could still get Covid-19, but your chance is much lower. And if you did get it, according to what we know from clinical trials, you're probably going to have less severe disease than if you didn't get the vaccine.

CNN: Once an older adult has received the second dose, and it's been three weeks, can they visit their grandchildren?

Wen: Maybe. The answer is not as simple as saying that someone who is vaccinated can get back to pre-pandemic life. Here's why. 

First, the vaccine is not 100% effective. There is still a chance that someone who has received the vaccine can get Covid-19. This is particularly true as there are many parts of the country that are undergoing substantial surges of infection. The rate of community transmission is very high, so there is still going to be a chance of contracting coronavirus even after getting vaccinated.

Second, the vaccine has not yet been shown to reduce transmission of the virus. We don't know if people who are vaccinated could still be carriers of the virus, even if they don't get sick. That means you could be protected yourself if you get exposed to someone with coronavirus, but you could still be a carrier of the virus. When you get together with your loved ones, you could spread it to those who aren't vaccinated.

Wouldn't that mean we also don't know if vaccinated teachers could still spread it to students?