THE Victorian Government is being urged to consider adding teachers and childcare workers to the first-dose Pfizer vaccine priority list.

Currently 10,000 priority bookings for the Pfizer vaccine are being offered to select groups at state-run vaccination hubs.

At present, these bookings are made available to all healthcare workers, residential aged and disability care workers (and residents), and household contacts (aged 16 years and over) of hotel quarantine and border workers.

A local doctor has approached the office of Member for Mildura Ali Cupper, asking why our region’s teachers and childcare workers aren’t on this list.

“She’s raised an incredibly salient point,” Ms Cupper said.

“So many of our healthcare workers are also primary carers, and they need schools and child care settings to be open.

“Teachers and childcare workers are providing a critical layer of support, so that those who’re on the frontline during the pandemic can stay on the frontline.”

Ms Cupper has written a letter to Victoria’s Health Minister Martin Foley requesting that he consider including teachers and childcare workers in the ‘at-risk’ category.

The letter states that while we’re aware of limitations regarding the number of Pfizer vaccines, the critical link between the education and healthcare workforce needs to be considered.

“This is not a request to prioritise our teachers and childcare workers at the expense of other priority groups, it’s simply to have them considered in the equation,” she said.

“They are essential workers, and providing them a vaccine doesn’t just safeguard a vital education service, but takes the pressure off our primary carer healthcare workers.”