Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s letter to Gov. Tom Wolf calling for the “immediate” inoculation of teachers, although well-intentioned, looks only at the proposed benefits without the associated costs (“Peduto asks Gov. Wolf to vaccinate Pennsylvania teachers immediately”). This approach will have dire consequences.

The covid-19 data shows a clear relationship of death to age and certain underlying medical conditions. The CDC reports an 85-year-old is 630 times more likely to die from covid than a 29-year-old. People with underlying conditions, as noted by the CDC, have a 12 times greater likelihood of dying than those without.

The limited availability of covid vaccines requires a thorough evaluation of all the associated risks and benefits, and difficult decisions need to be made. If the goals are to follow the science and minimize covid-related deaths, then the elderly and those with comorbidities, as directed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Vaccine Guidelines Phase 1A, must be completed before consideration is given to vaccinating any other groups, including teachers.

I hope after a more complete evaluation, Peduto reconsiders his request to vaccinate teachers “immediately.”

Donald Kushner, M.D.

Harmar

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