(WXYZ) — The CDC says schools can safely reopen even if teachers aren’t vaccinated for the coronavirus. Some teachers say they just don’t feel comfortable going back to the classroom without being vaccinated.
RELATED: CDC: Schools can safely reopen even if teachers aren't vaccinated for COVID-19
Susie Horwitz is a preschool teacher at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills. She says returning to the classroom without getting the vaccine doesn’t make sense and it puts more people at risk of contracting the virus.
“I’d feel more comfortable having the vaccine than not having it,” Horwitz said.
She has been teaching preschool for 25 years. After hearing the CDC say it’s safe for schools to reopen even if teachers haven’t been vaccinated, Horwitz says it’s too much of a risk.
“I think that they're kind of rushing it,” she said.
CDC director Rochelle Walensky says data shows if teachers continue to follow social distancing guidelines and continue to wear masks, schools can safely reopen.
Some parents say their kids have been attending private school since August and say the school has very strict protocols.
“We’ve had to take a lot of extra measures," said Laura Suter whose three kids are currently in school. "The kids are social distancing, they wear masks all day, they don’t transfer from classroom to classroom like they used to so the dynamics are very different.”
Suter says teachers should have the option to get vaccinated or not but says it’s also important to get children back in the classroom.
“It’s not that everything is going to be fine, there’s always a chance for risk but there’s also a big risk with the kids falling behind and their mental capacity as well,” Suter said.
Teachers are essential workers under the CDC’s vaccination plan. Many in metro Detroit still haven’t received the shot. Horwitz says she isn’t going back until she has both shots.
“I would feel more comfortable going back in the fall when more people have the vaccine,” the preschool teacher added.
Horwitz says she will be getting the first shot on Saturday and the second shot in March.
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