Framingham & Ashland Legislators Want Massachusetts Educators To Receive Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine

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FRAMINGHAM – About two dozen Massachusetts senators and state represents sent a letter to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker asking him to give the 70,000 Massachusetts teachers and educators, the one dose Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine, recently approved by the FDA.

Among the signatures on the letter was Ashland & Framingham state representatives Carmine Gentile, Jack Patrick Lewis, and Maria Robinson.

“Teachers and school staff have been instrumental in our communal response to this pandemic.  They have demonstrated their great commitment to our families and our communities through their flexibility and determination,” said Rep. Lewis. “As with other essential employees, teachers and school staff should have been prioritized in the vaccine rollout and should have immediate access to these additional vaccines.”

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“My colleagues and I write to you today on behalf of school committees, parents, and teachers who were told at the beginning of this health crisis to
“do what’s best for their communities” but are now being told that schools will reopen on April 1st per order of DESE. Now that all public schools are to be in-person by April 1st, we are requesting that the approximately 72,000 public school teachers, as well as school administrators and staff be given the recently approved one shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine so that when they are forced back into the classroom by DESE it is safe,” wrote State Rep. Patrick Joseph Kearney of the 4th Plymouth District on the letter signed by 22 others.

“As the calls for in-person learning get stronger, we must do our best to protect our teachers, staff, students, and families by ensuring that the state is supporting education professionals to get the vaccine,” said Rep. Robinson. “This will alleviate many stressors that will allow for a safer learning environment for all.”

Framingham teachers and educators reported back to the classroom last month. And starting this month, the last of the students who have not been in the classrooms since March 2020, will begin in-person hybrid model learning.

Ashland and Natick Public Schools educators have been in a hybrid in-person model since fall 2020.