Tier 2

The states are the final arbiters of who gets what, when, as they ramp up to start delivering some of the COVID vaccines.  The Federal panel on such things issued guidelines, but the decisions are going to be made by the individual states.  

All the panel members but one agreed that nursing home residents and front line medical workers ought to be innoculated first.  The dissenting scientist didn't think the data showed that it would be useful and not harmful in that population; the idea that facts informed a decision made me smile.

It was encouraging to note that front line medical personnel includes housekeeping and food service and admissions as well as doctors and nurses and respiratory therapists.  

And then there's Tier 2 - those over 65.  I was heartened that he didn't say the elderly, although that's exactly what he meant.  Those with co-morbidities will go first, the healthier of us will follow.  Our age cohort is most vulnerable to the disease.  Vaccinating us will reduce the load on hospitals because when we get sick, we get sick.

I understand the thinking behind that.  I just disagree.  

I think that after the front line medical personnel are safe and well protected, the next people to be vaccinated ought to be teachers and school bus drivers and other front line education personnel.  Students, starting in middle school, ought to be included in that group.  

Elementary school children keep their masks on because that's the rule and rules are not made to be broken.  By middle school and high school, social distancing and mask wearing becomes more problematic.  Without schools, parents can't go to work.  Without teachers, classrooms can't function.  If the bus driver gets sick, there are no substitutes lying in wait to drive sniffling kids all over town.  

Give it to those who are trained to keep us safe.

Give it to those who are educating our children.

Then, save the elderly.  

I don't want to wait, but I will, because we are all in this together, and I want us to get it right.