Hundreds of Wake County teachers rolled up their sleeves to get the coronavirus vaccine.

At least 400 educators received invitations to sign up to obtain their vaccine on Wednesday at a mass vaccination event.  

What You Need To Know

  • NC teachers are now eligible to get their COVID-19 vaccinations

  • About 400 Wake County teachers received their vaccine on Wednesday

  • Educators are eligible to receive their vaccine no matter their age or pre-existing conditions

“It’s encouraging to feel like educators are being viewed as essential in this time," says Taylor Ratledge, a Broughton High School teacher.

"I know there are a lot of other people who have been out in the field working, but as teachers who are working for hours and hours on end with the same group of students every day, it feels good to know that I can work a little more closely with my students without fear of contracting [COVID-19],” Ratledge says.

Prior to Wednesday, only people who qualified for groups 1 and 2 — health care workers and those over the age of 65 — could receive a vaccine.

The state expanded eligibility to educators to reserve their spot in line this week, paving the way for teachers, principals, child care workers, bus drivers, and custodial employees to receive their first dose.

Some people over the age of 65 have expressed concern that expanding the pool to people who may be younger and may not have a pre-existing condition could threaten their opportunities to obtain a vaccine.

Also, teachers in several counties have also run into some difficulties obtaining their appointment to get vaccinated.

North Carolina currently does not require teachers to be vaccinated before returning to the classroom.