EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Education Association says an online survey conducted by the organization shows nearly two-thirds of Michigan school employees are either vaccinated or in the process of being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Another third of the more than 22,500 respondents are waiting to get their first shot, with about 90% of educators overall wanting to receive the vaccine, according to a news release Tuesday.
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Half of those surveyed have received their first shot, with another 6.7% scheduled to do so.
Another 6.4% have received both doses of the vaccine, with another 36.9% not yet vaccinated or scheduled to do so.
Of that group, the “vast majority” want the vaccine, according to the MEA.
Just 6.9% of school employees responding do not plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine, with another 6.3% unsure.
“Our members see the vaccine as a critical component to reopening classrooms across the state, along with continued mitigation measures like masks, social distancing and sanitization,” MEA President Paula Herbart said. “They are following the science and are embracing the vaccines’ potential for protecting their health and safety, as well as that of their students. While thousands of educators are still waiting to be scheduled for vaccination because of the short supply of the vaccine, these results show a great deal of progress.”
About 20% of MEA members say they have not heard from their employer about arrangements to get vaccinated by local health departments.
The majority of those who have received shots or are scheduled to do so secured their appointments on their own (60.7%) as opposed to through their employer, according to the survey.
Higher education faculty and staff are not yet eligible for the vaccine.
A survey released Tuesday by the National Education Association showed 18% of educators nationwide have been vaccinated.
“The state of educator vaccination in Michigan is much better than what we’re hearing from many other states, including many where educators have not been prioritized to receive the vaccine at all,” Herbart said. “We appreciate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decisive leadership in making PreK-12 school employees eligible for the vaccine and working to tackle the supply and distribution issues that many are experiencing. The governor’s words and actions show her commitment to keeping students and educators safe and continuing to make saving lives the top priority.”
The MEA survey was conducted online from Feb. 2-8 and was answered by 22,552 members of the organizations across the state, including PreK-12 teachers and support staff, higher education faculty and staff, student teachers and school retirees.
Read the full survey findings here.
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