Fórsa has asked the Government to review its decision to remove special needs assistants (SNAs) from the Covid-19 vaccine priority list and to include them under ‘category nine’ of its revised vaccine schedule, which includes people aged 16-64 who work in crowded settings.
In a letter to Taoiseach Micheál Martin today, the union’s head of education, Andy Pike, said that SNAs work in crowded settings where social distancing is not possible. “There are few other groups outside health and social care who work on a consistent basis providing intimate care without the ability to maintain social distancing,” he wrote.
In special schools, healthcare staff including nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists have all been vaccinated, whilst the SNAs who work alongside them have not.
Mr Pike said SNAs provide the same care to students as staff in HSE disability services. “In special schools, healthcare staff including nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists have all been vaccinated, whilst the SNAs who work alongside them have not,” he said.
The union, which represents over 14,000 SNAs, said many countries that have opted for age-based vaccination schedules also maintain priority vaccinations for essential staff including SNAs.
“There are 17,000 SNA posts allocated to our schools. Including them in the new vaccine schedule within the revised ‘category nine’ would not cause significant delays to the vaccination of other groups. Indeed the vaccination of those with severe underlying health conditions would still be completed before SNAs received the vaccine,” said Mr Pike.
SNAs, who have fulfilled their role in reopening schools, now feel they were misled and have been badly let down by the Government decision to exclude them from priority status.
He also pointed out that the Government had agreed a range of safety and mitigation measures, including priority vaccination scheduling for SNAs, in plans to re-open schools earlier this year.
“The vaccination of SNAs is the single most effective measure that will ensure these vital services remain open should public health conditions deteriorate. SNAs, who have fulfilled their role in reopening schools, now feel they were misled and have been badly let down by the Government decision to exclude them from priority status,” he said.