NDP: Essential and front-line workers should be prioritized for vaccines

In a meeting with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Singh affirms teachers and education workers should be on the priority list for vaccines

OTTAWA – In a meeting with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh once again stated that essential workers and front-line workers should be vaccinated as a priority. Singh added, teachers and education workers are essential workers, and should be prioritized for vaccines. With a third wave sweeping the country, Singh is calling on the Liberal government to use every tool they have to help provinces and territories with the vaccination roll-out.

“We have all been touched by the story told by Dr. Michael Warner, an ICU physician at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto. He spoke about treating younger and younger patients who are getting sick because they have to continue to go to work. They work in factories and warehouses. They do essential work, like food production and work at grocery stores. In fact, people most affected do not have the luxury of working from home,” said Singh. “Over 1 million Canadians have now been infected with COVID-19 and that number is rising. What we need is an all-hands-on deck approach. Lives depend on it.”

In a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau last week, Singh called on the government to ask Canada’s health experts to re-examine their advice and include essential workers and those who cannot stay home in the current vaccination roll-out.

“Teachers and education workers are essential workers and access to vaccinations for them should be a priority. The safety of teachers and education workers is critical to the safety of workers, children, families and communities,” said Singh at the meeting. “Until our schools are safe from COVID-19, we will never be able to control this virus and get our economy running again. Essential workers must be considered in the second phase of vaccination. The federal government can’t sit on the sidelines. We need to throw everything we have at this crisis.”