The Union of Professional Educators – Voice of the Workers, referring to the imminent arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine, is urging the government to consider educators as frontliners.

In a statement, the union said that this is because educators are exposed to a large number of people on a daily basis, “thus substantially increasing the risk of contracting and spreading the virus involuntarily.”

The union welcomed the news of the imminent arrival of the vaccine in Malta, saying that it was informed that the first doses are to be administered to specific categories, by appointment, following a notification which will be received via conventional mail.

It went on to point out that the categories mentioned as being prioritised for this first batch of vaccines are the frontliners, law enforcement officials and the elderly, but not educators.

The union argued that the “numerous cases found in schools over the past months and the consequent periods of self-isolation, or quarantine, our educators have been having to face, have been burdening our educators both in terms of work and syllabi requiring to be completed within a stipulated timeframe, as well as psychologically as a result of the anxiety, stress, and strain in these uncertain times.”

The UPE stated that “allowing our educators the possibility to receive the non-mandatory vaccination would reduce the risk of having schools understaffed, or functioning haphazardly, due to sporadic outbreaks, or individual cases, among educators.”

The union concluded by saying that “it would also guarantee peace of mind to our educators, who have been working relentlessly to ensure that the high-quality education our children deserve, is delivered despite the pandemic, and all the unexpected events that have been accompanying it since March.”

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