City-County councilors want COVID-19 vaccinations for teachers and transit workers

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis City-County councilors are calling for policy makers to step up. They want COVID-19 vaccinations for bus drivers, teachers and essential staff.

All council members adopted two new proposals. Their message is to prioritize all school staff and transit workers, like IndyGo bus drivers.

More than 12,000 Indiana educators and school personnel have tested positive for COVID-19. Councilor Crista Carlino co-sponsored one of the proposals with councilor Jessica McCormick. They say getting back to in-person instruction full-time is critical to the economy and local families, which is why teachers need to get the vaccine.

The second proposal is from councilor La Keisha Jackson, chair of the council’s Community Relations Committee. She says IndyGo drivers spend a majority of their workday confined in a small space with limited ventilation and riders continuously getting on and off the bus, which puts drivers in a high-risk situation. Buses are a priority for the city as many essential workers rely on public transportation. Jackson says that’s why there’s an even bigger push to get transit workers vaccinated next.

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, those ages 60 and older are now eligible. There has not been a plan to specifically vaccinate teachers.