Union’s jabs plea for pupils to help keep schools safe
SECONDARY pupils should be vaccinated in a bid to make schools safer after the holidays, union bosses have said.
Nicola Sturgeon faces fresh calls to launch a coronavirus vaccination programme for youngsters aged between 12 and 18.
On Thursday, the First Minister said she was keen to see children offered a jab but was waiting for guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
With only four weeks until pupils return to the classroom, Miss Sturgeon has also been urged to create a ‘plan of action’ for schools.
Yesterday, Scottish Labour insisted that teachers should be given priority in a vaccine booster programme to
‘Disruption to schooling’
help cut the number of outbreaks and subsequent learning time lost from self-isolation. They have also proposed an increase in testing in schools and a ventilation inspection programme.
The number of youngsters with coronavirus hit a record high before schools broke up for the holidays, leading to a spike in children missing class as they were forced to self-isolate.
Miss Sturgeon has said that the Government is looking to see whether changes could be made, meaning quarantine is not necessary for children who are ‘close contact’ of Covid cases if they test negative.
Yesterday, Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), called on the government to roll out vaccines for secondary school pupils.
Speaking to The Sunday National newspaper, he said the EIS was ‘very concerned’ about a possible easing of restrictions in school.
Mr Flanagan said: ‘The number of children testing positive for Covid has reached a record high in recent weeks so it follows that more have had to be admitted to hospital.
‘We are very concerned about easing of mitigations in schools.
‘Our position is that we support the vaccination of 12 to 18year-olds – the secondary school population. We have raised this with Cerg (Covid-19 Education Recovery Group) and said it might be required to make schools safer places.
‘There will be teachers who are going back in August who haven’t been double jagged. They will be at risk and if they end up going off that will impact on education.
‘Given the risks that the virus presents the voluntary vaccination of secondary school pupils seems like a sensible step. We are in favour of vaccination being offered.’
Mr Flanagan’s comments came only days after Miss Sturgeon disclosed that she would like to see children aged 12 to 18 offered the life-saving jabs.
The JCVI is considering expanding the rollout and will report in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour has called for a new plan for education, including putting teachers among the priority lists for proposed vaccine boosters.
Scottish Labour education spokesman Michael Marra said: ‘Scotland is four weeks from the start of the new school term and none of the strategic decisions necessary have been communicated to education authorities, headteachers and parents.
‘Clear and timely communication is vital if we are to avoid the chaos that has marked the Scottish Government’s handling of education throughout the pandemic.
‘We must always be guided by the science, and these additional measures are based on lessons learned so far.
‘From testing, to vaccines and ventilation, this is a robust plan of action.. Not only is it necessary to keep pupils and staff safe, but it will also help reduce the disruption to schooling which has been significant since the outbreak of Covid-19.’
‘Make schools safer places’