Vaccinating teachers 'not a prerequisite' for safely reopening schools, CDC director says

Rochelle Walensky.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said during Wednesday's White House coronavirus briefing that the agency's data shows vaccinating teachers "is not a prerequisite" for safely reopening schools.

Figuring out how to safely get children back in the classroom is a priority for the Biden administration, albeit one that is the subject of much debate and growing tensions between lawmakers, school districts, and teachers' unions. Teachers are eligible for vaccination in many states, but distribution struggles and a shortage in supply have slowed the rollout. The good news, seemingly, is that studies have suggested transmission is rare in schools, though it's unclear if that will settle the matter.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.