Tellusgruppen supports the teachers' union on the issue of vaccines for teachers

Published: December 15, 2020

  

Miscellaneous

Tellusgruppen supports the teachers' unions' demand that teachers be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination. "If teachers stay healthy, schools—and thus the rest of Sweden—can continue to remain open," says Bijan Fahimi, CEO of the Tellus Group.

“Work from home!” says the Public Health Agency of Sweden. “Cancel. Reschedule. Postpone,” says the prime minister. We all need to do our part to prevent the spread of infection in society, but there are so many professions where people can’t work from their kitchen table or avoid taking the bus to work.

One professional group that has been under immense pressure ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began early this spring is our preschool and elementary school teachers, who have essentially been present at their workplaces the entire time.

As an employer with employees who are unable to work from home, we believe it is of the utmost importance that the vaccination campaign gets into full swing as soon as possible. However, since Sweden cannot vaccinate all 10 million residents at the same time, it is a critical question who will have access to the vaccine first and which groups will be prioritized.

The Public Health Agency of Sweden has issued a recommendation identifying a number of priority groups. In light of this, we at Tellusgruppen believe it is now time to turn our attention to Sweden’s teachers and educators. We therefore fully support the teachers’ unions as they argue that teachers must be given priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine and be recognized as a key group.

If teachers stay healthy, preschools and elementary schools will be able to remain open, which is of great importance to Swedish society. Above all, of course, for the students’ learning. But it’s important to remember that schools also play a vital role in society, as children’s parents are able to go to their own jobs when their children can attend school. If schools remain open, the rest of society will continue to function as well. And with regular staff on site at schools, we maintain a safe and secure school environment.