NBC 6’s Julie Leonardi has the reaction from some of the school’s concerned parents and the response from the school’s leadership standing by the decision.
A private school in Miami is discouraging teachers from getting the COVID-19 vaccine — and in a letter to parents, the school says it will not employ anyone who has taken it.
Centner Academy's new policy directs teachers to not get the vaccine or they won’t be allowed around students — effectively losing their jobs.
The policy has some parents looking for a new school.
"The whole year has been unbelievably shuffled for all of us to know what to do. And I don't know if there's going to be teachers there," said one mother, who asked to be identified as only Lidia because she says she signed a document that prohibits parents from speaking ill about the academy.
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"They're very pro 'my body, my choice,' and yet, it's the complete opposite of that is what she's actually telling these teachers. It's your body, but it's her choice," Lidia said.
Leila Centner, the school’s co-founder, issued a statement to NBC 6 on Monday, saying in part, "We are not 100% sure the COVID injections are safe and there are too many unknown variables for us to feel comfortable at this current time."
In the statement, Centner suggests the vaccine may be responsible for unfounded reports of reproductive issues for women.
“..It appears that those who have received the injections may be transmitting something from their bodies to those with whom they come in contact," the statement read.
"I mean, that's just absolutely an insane comment," Lidia said. "I mean, I don't know how she can possibly imagine that something's going to pass through the air from one person to the other."
Doctors and scientists have repeatedly debunked false information about the vaccine’s side effects, and there is no indication that any of the coronavirus vaccines cause reproductive issues for women.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended COVID-19 shots for pregnant women after preliminary data from the largest study of coronavirus vaccine use among expectant mothers showed that Pfizer's and Moderna's jabs were safe for the women as well as their babies.
"No safety concerns were observed for people vaccinated in the third trimester or safety concerns for their babies," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday. "As such, CDC recommends pregnant people receive COVID-19 vaccines."
Lidia says if she could take her child out of this school now, she would, but her hands are tied. She already paid about $30,000 of tuition up front.
Centner Academy also says its decision will stand until they know for sure the vaccine is 100% safe.
