COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Senate has unanimously approved a measure that would allow teachers to soon get the COVID-19 vaccine, a stand against what the state's governor wants to do.
Lawmakers approved the resolution on a 42-0 vote Tuesday afternoon. The bill now goes to the House for consideration.
The measure would allow teachers to be put into Phase 1a, the current vaccination group. Currently, only healthcare workers, first responders, and people 65 and older can get the shot.
The move comes as there's growing calls to get all school districts in South Carolina to offer students and parents a five day a week, in-person option. Currently, less than half of schools do.
There are an estimated 70,000 teachers in South Carolina. A survey by the South Carolina Department of Education found about 58 percent of them want to take the vaccine.
But South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has opposed moving them up, saying that the priority now is to vaccinate the elderly, saying it's unethical and immortal to prioritize anyone along with them.
Shortly after the Senate's vote, he tweeted the following statement:
"Seniors are getting vaccinated in greater numbers each day. Breaking faith by slowing down, disrupting, cancelling, or delaying any senior’s vaccination shot is a bad idea with deadly consequences. I cannot - and will not - allow their lives to be jeopardized."
McMaster said teachers will be vaccinated as soon as seniors have gotten the shot.
But Sen. Shane Massey, who first proposed the measure, said the final version doesn't require teachers to get a vaccine quicker than the elderly. They'll just be in the same group that can schedule vaccines.
The measure was first proposed by Sen. Shane Massey, who said if getting teachers vaccinated gets school fully back in session, then that's what the state must do. He said the measure that passed doesn't require teachers to get a vaccine quicker than the elderly
Just last week, the director of the CDC said vaccinating teachers is not a requirement for safely reopening schools.
McMaster also argues keeping kids out of the classroom is doing more harm than good, causing psychological damage to kids and sociological damage to their parents.
South Carolina Education Superintendent Molly Spearman, who had previously said districts could offer several options, now says she believes schools should offer the in-person option as well.