Louisiana superintendent: Prioritize vaccine on school staff

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s education superintendent is asking Gov. John Bel Edwards and state health leaders to prioritize childcare workers and school teachers, staff and bus drivers when divvying up future vaccine shipments.

Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley told Louisiana’s education board Tuesday that’s an estimated 166,000 employees at daycare centers, pre-K programs and K-12 schools.

Louisiana started coronavirus immunizations Monday for hospital workers. Next up are people who live and work at nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Edwards has said he largely intends to follow the recommendations of scientific experts that advise the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That advisory group hasn’t set its second phase guidance yet.