Dr. Arwady: CPS Teachers And Staff Are Part Of The City's Vaccination Plan, But People Need To Be Patient

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Making sure teachers are vaccinated has been one of the main sticking points for the Chicago Teachers Union.

Thousands of K-8 students are scheduled to return to in-person learning Monday. But teachers remain worried about the safety of the district's reopening plan.

On Friday, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Doctor Allison Arwady hosted a roundtable to discuss concerns, and urged patience when it comes to vaccines.

"Teachers and staff are absolutely part of that plan. But there are more than 140,000 educators in the city of Chicago," Arwady said. "If we were to take all of the vaccine, the first doses we were getting for five weeks, we could get through educators. But that would mean we can't vaccinate anybody else, many others at higher risk."

Health experts believe the benefits of in-person learning outweigh the risks, as long as proper sanitizing procedures are followed and people have access to protective equipment.

Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union said they will continue negotiations.

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In:
• Chicago Public Schools