From Testing to Vaccine Equity: Virtual Conversation: Navigating the Remainder of the COVID-19 School Year

With months of experience designing and implementing multilayered safety plans, a significant increase in knowledge on the virus, and the introduction of long-awaited public health tools at their disposal, school leaders are better equipped to provide more in-person education during the second half of this school year.

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to surge across the U.S., many are feeling apprehensive about sending more of our teachers and youth back into the classroom. Yet, as school testing protocols become more widely available and public health departments and schools prepare for teachers and staff to get the vaccine, there is a greater opportunity to use these tools to get as many students as safely possible back in the classroom this school year. While we have learned there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach for school operations during this pandemic, with support from public health departments, health care institutions, and other community partners, there are preparations and investments all schools can be making now to build confidence in our ability to safely offer in-school education. This will inevitably require establishing trust among teachers and families and addressing the concerns of families and communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

How safe is the vaccine, and how can we best communicate that to teachers and staff? With delays in vaccine distribution, how can we create assurance testing programs to serve as a bridge? What concrete steps can we take to build trust in the vaccine through the school community by targeting hesitancy and mistrust, particularly among communities of color?

Join PolicyLab on January 22 from 10:30a.m.-12:00p.m. EST for, “From Testing to Vaccines to Equity: Navigating the Remainder of the COVID-19 School Year,” a virtual conversation with infectious disease specialists, public health professionals, vaccine hesitancy experts and education thought leaders who will discuss these issues and more.