Some Thunder Bay education workers prioritized for COVID-19 vaccine

Some education workers in Thunder Bay will soon be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The province announced last week that school staff in Ontario who provide direct support to students with complex special needs will be prioritized for the vaccine.

Kari Simpson, who represents about 200 full-time, and more than 100 casual, student support professionals (SSPs) working for the Lakehead District School Board, said SSPs are at higher risk because many of them are still required to go into schools to work directly with students with complex special needs.

"So, those that require support with activities of daily living and health and safety measures," Simpson said. "Those unable to wear masks for medical reasons, have complex medical needs, or cannot be accommodated through remote learning."

Simpson said she was "absolutely thrilled" that SSPs who work with students with complex special needs will be prioritized for the vaccine, as they've been feeling a lot of stress and anxiety over having to continue to go into schools.

"With the variants that's a huge concern," Simpson said. "Getting people vaccinated who want to be vaccinated is a huge win."

Simpson said eligible staff were expecting to get more information on Monday about how to book vaccine appointments.

Meanwhile, the board itself said Monday it's working on a plan to get eligible staff vaccinated, and Michelle Probizanski, superintendent of education for the board, said eligible workers should be able to get their vaccines "in the next couple of weeks."

The board told CBC News it hoped to have all education workers vaccinated as quickly as possible, but the priority is staff who work with students with complex needs.

Continue to 'do your best'

Probizanski encouraged students to "continue to do your best" as the province announced schools will once again close to in-person learning next week (all elementary and secondary schools in Thunder Bay have been largely closed to in-person learning already).

"We have an amazingly-resilient staff who are giving their all to virtual learning," she said. "Students are resilient, as well, and have made the best of a difficult situation."

"I would expect everyone to continue to do the best that they can under these circumstances," Probizanski said.

"We know the decision is based on the increasing number of cases in the province, and perhaps things are getting a little bit better here in Thunder Bay, but we have to realize that we're part of a bigger picture."

"We need to consider the impacts that things that are happening within the province are having on the hospitals and ICUs everywhere."