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The decision to prioritize smokers over essential workers like teachers has been criticized, although the phased rollout meets federal guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control which place smoking on a list of conditions. that lead to an increased risk of serious illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. “
“Although ACIP makes recommendations, we understand that there will be a level of local adaptation. Staged vaccine recommendations are meant to be fluid and not restrictive to jurisdictions. It is not necessary to vaccinate all individuals in one phase before initiating the next phase; the phases may overlap, ”CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said in a statement to CNN.
“This ideally means reaching a sweet spot that maximizes the uptake of the vaccine in the arms while also being aware of priority groups – especially because these are people who are at a higher risk of complications from COVID-19 or are more susceptible. to be exposed to the virus because of their jobs, ”Nordlund said.
Teachers are still waiting for the vaccine
Educators in New Jersey are disappointed and frustrated to have been turned away, Bergen County Education Association president Sue McBride told CNN.
“From what I’m hearing it’s just another set of frustration and another set of hardships, you know our educators and education support professionals have working contacts with students and with their colleagues in their school buildings, ”said McBride.
“The idea of having a vaccine that hopefully gives some peace of mind. And a little bit of hope, and a move in a positive direction is valued. You know, and a long awaited thing. gone happen.” The New Jersey Educators Association continues to uphold the need for access to vaccines for educators in order to bring schools closer to a sense of normalcy.
“We have said from the start that educators should have priority access to the vaccine. This is an important step towards a safer return to in-person learning. We have been in constant communication with the representatives of the State concerning the access of educators to vaccination. We reiterated to them the need to do whatever is necessary to accelerate this access, even in light of the revised federal guidelines from the Trump administration and the slow federal rollout of the current vaccine, ”said Steve Baker, director of communications. from the NJEA, to CNN.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves this week announced an extension of the deployment to those with underlying medical conditions, including smokers, but said essential workers like teachers are next.
“And be very clear to our emergency first responders, our police officers, our firefighters and our teachers, you are on the bridge. Next time we have an update, I think it will be to announce that the vaccine will be available for you, ”Tate said at a press conference Tuesday.
CNN did not immediately respond to comments from the Mississippi Department of Health.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy defended the move, saying it wouldn’t be a topic of conversation if the federal government provided states with more doses of the vaccine.
“I understand, I understand the optics here, and that the attacking people who used to smoke and are now addicted can be politically expedient,” Murphy said at a press conference Friday. “But at the moment, we are stuck in a position where we have to prioritize limited doses of vaccines distributed by the federal government on the basis of medical facts and not political will. We have to save lives. And we have to. protect our hospitals, by the way, from a patient surge. “
Murphy added that “teachers are in the circle of the bridge” and that all teachers under 65 with chronic health conditions are currently eligible for the vaccine.
Teachers are also included in the next eligible sub-phase, New Jersey Department of Health spokesperson Donna Leusner told CNN, but smoking is viewed by health officials as a health risk. state residents.
“Yes, the issue has been raised. Nicotine is one of the most potent addictions. Smoking puts people at a higher risk for more serious illnesses. If a person who smokes gets COVID, they become much sicker. Our goal is to save as many as possible and promote immunization among higher risk groups. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States as well as in New Jersey (USA). exception of Covid 19). We encourage all who smoke to quit, “Leusner said in a statement to CNN.
Smoking and Covid-19 from a public health perspective
An estimated 2 million smokers in New Jersey are the largest vaccine-eligible population based on the list of underlying medical conditions, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said at a conference. press Wednesday.
Putting smokers first is a matter of public health, not a judgment of personal choice, said Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association.
“This is a population that we know is at risk, whether it is a good choice or a bad choice to become a smoker. They are smokers they are at risk of getting sick and in need of medical services so if we can keep them healthy that is helping society in general, ”Rizzo told CNN.
Rizzo, a pulmonologist with the Christiana Care Health System in Delaware, says it’s hard to rule out all smokers in favor of smokers who have additional diagnosed respiratory illnesses.
“We can make arguments on either side, but we know that smoking per se, whether you have chronic bronchitis but not COPD, or if you really have a cough but not short of breath, always puts you at risk.” , said Rizzo. “And I think most people scientifically say that if you inhale tobacco fumes, nicotine, and tar, all of those things inflame your airways and put you in danger, whether you have or not reached the point of developing COPD. “
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