McMaster: Allowing teachers to jump the line, get vaccinated would be ‘unethical’

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has a strong message regarding teachers who want to be moved up in the state’s COVID-19 vaccine priorities.

“If we allow teachers to jump the line, we are taking vaccines from our most vulnerable population who are dying from this virus. That is unethical, immoral, and absolutely unacceptable,” McMaster said on Twitter.

Currently, the state is in Phase 1a of its vaccine rollout plan, and teachers are in Phase 1b. That’s not expected to start until early spring.

Many districts are already learning in-person, which is why teachers are asking to be vaccinated now.

Right now, York, Chester and Lancaster County schools have most of their elementary schools open but middle and high schools are doing a hybrid of remote and in-person learning.

Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto Teachers Association said even though the CDC said it is safer for teachers to return, he believes schools aren’t equipped to meet the social distancing requirements.

“A lot of schools in our state are gonna have a hard time doing that in a five day face-to-face environment so I think that’s what’s missing here,” Kelly said.

The Palmetto Teachers Association said hundreds of teachers have missed school because they are high risk or had to quarantine and it has caused shortages across the board.

Teachers in SC ask for top priority for COVID-19 vaccines

Cox Media Group