On vaccines for children, the UNICEF chief said the organization supports it, but it should not be a prerequisite for students to attend schools.
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New Delhi:
Governments across the world should do everything in their power to ensure that the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 does not disrupt education of children any further, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore said today.
In a statement, the UNICEF executive director has suggested some measures to “avert a learning catastrophe” and “put children back on the learning track”.
“Keep schools open. An estimated 616 million children are currently affected by full or partial school closures. We know that mitigation measures help keep schools open. We also know that investments in digital connectivity can help us make sure that no child is left behind. We need bold action to enable every child to return to school. This includes providing comprehensive support with a particular focus on marginalized children in each community, such as catch-up classes, mental health and nutrition support, protection and other key services,” the statement said.
UNICEF has recommended immediate vaccination of teaching and non-teaching staff. “Teachers and school personnel should be fully supported and prioritized to receive COVID-19 vaccines, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated.”
On vaccines for children, the UNICEF chief said the organization supports it, but it should not be a prerequisite for students to attend schools.
“UNICEF supports the vaccination of children once vaccines are available to them and once priority groups are fully protected. Do not make vaccination a pre-requisite for in-person schooling.”
“Making access to in-person schooling contingent on COVID-19 vaccination risks denying children access to education and increasing inequalities. Consistent with WHO recommendations, UNICEF recommends keeping schools open and ensuring that countries’ COVID-19 control strategies facilitate children’s participation in education and other aspects of social life, even without vaccinating children and adolescents,” Ms Fore said.
“In crisis conditions there are always difficult decisions that force difficult trade-offs, and we recognize the unprecedented challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic is creating for school systems worldwide. But the stakes are too high. We must collectively do everything we can to keep children in school,” Ms Fore added.