The Minister for Disability, Galway based Anne Rabbitte  insists she is continuing to advocate for vaccine prioritization for teachers, childcare assistants and SNAs in Special Schools and classes.

She admits she was taken aback by NIAC advice to government last week to remove this cohort of what she describes as “frontline workers” from a prioritised vaccine rollout programme, and instead revert to age in terms of priority.

Nonetheless, she says there is strong scientific advice that Covid 19, particularly some of the new strains of the virus, pose the greatest threat to older rather than younger people.

She has described the updated vaccine rollout programme as “fluid”, and insists she will continue to make a strong case for teachers, SNAs and childcare assistants in special schools and classes.

Minister Rabbitte recgonises these workers as “frontline”, as she told Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley..