Nursery staff call for Covid-19 vaccine priority

STAFF from a local nursery have appealed for routine Covid-19 testing and vaccinations to be rolled out to all key workers in early years settings.  

Following news of the national lockdown, schools across England closed their doors to most pupils this month, whilst most early years settings remained open. And whilst they are “happy” to stay open, Sunflower Nursery staff say that they are “nervous” and have queried why they are not on the priority list for the vaccine.

The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey), Early Years Alliance (EYA) and National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) have also said that they want staff in nurseries and pre-schools to be given priority to receive the vaccine, and for mass testing in early years settings.

Owner and manager of Sunflower Nursery, Rachael Emmett, told Frome Times, “I am happy we are open to be able to provide continuous eduction for our 0-5s. This is such a key age group for development and with the previous lockdown, they missed out on some key stages of development. 

“Whilst we are open for all, we understand the reasons behind it. However, it has made some staff nervous and it poses the question as to why we cannot be found on the priority list for the vaccine. I could not do this without my staff and in every way possible want to keep them safe, as well as the children who attend. Vaccines and testing would support us in being able to do this.”

Whilst staff wait for news about when they will receive the vaccine, Sunflower Nursery has maintained a “very robust policy” to help reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, keeping staff, children and parents safe.

“We had a very robust policy in place when we returned in September,” said Rachael. “We have not had to make any changes to our current policies. We have had no cases in the setting and I put that down to the robust system that my colleagues have adopted. 

“Our parents are all pleased that we have remained open to offer the care that they require. Some parents have now had to work from home and this can be challenging when you have children about who need occupying.”