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Teachers relieved they can now receive the COVID vaccine in Washington

One teacher who spoke to KGW said he's happy that teachers can now receive the vaccine but he wishes teachers had been prioritized sooner.

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Two teachers who spoke to KGW said they're happy that teachers, school staff and childcare workers are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington. One of them said he wishes Gov. Jay Inslee had prioritized teachers sooner.

RELATED: Washington teachers now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine, Inslee announces

Mike Ingalls, a teacher in Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, said he signed up for the vaccine Tuesday night and will be getting the shot Wednesday. Schools in the Evergreen Public Schools have implemented a hybrid learning model. Ingalls said he's been uncomfortable working inside the classroom and wishes the district would have waited to start in-person learning.

"Kids definitely need to be in the classroom," Ingalls said. "I just wish we waited a little more until we could get vaccinated."

RELATED: What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines in Oregon Wednesday

Kathy Leonard, a retired teacher, said expanding the vaccine eligibility to teachers is exactly what needed to happen in Washington. 

"I've got grandkids," Leonard said. "I have been a homeschooler and a teacher before I retired. The importance of being in class and having the teachers safe and students safe is spot on."

Ingalls said he's not sure which vaccine he's going to get but he's happy it's finally his turn. He said he wishes the governor could have figured out a way to prioritize teachers sooner.

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