WHO calls for teachers to be given vaccine priority

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said Monday that teachers and school staff should be included among priority groups for COVID vaccinations to enable schools in Europe and Central Asia to keep their doors open.

A joint statement issued by the two UN agencies said that measures to ensure that schools remain open throughout the pandemic "includes giving teachers and other school staff the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the population groups that are the target of national vaccination plans."

He added that the recommendation, which was previously issued by a group of WHO experts in November 2020 before the launch of vaccines, should be implemented "while ensuring that the most vulnerable populations are vaccinated."

With schools reopening after the summer break, the two agencies stated that "it is imperative that teaching from inside the classroom continues without interruption," despite the spread of the Delta mutant. 

"It is critical for children's education, mental health and social skills that schools help equip our children with the tools to make them happy and productive members of society," WHO Director-General for Europe Hans Kluge said in the statement.

He added that "the epidemic was behind the most disastrous disruption of education in history."

The two agencies urged countries to vaccinate children over 12 years of age who have health problems that put them at increased risk of severe illness from Covid.

The statement also noted the importance of measures to improve the school environment during the pandemic, including improving ventilation, reducing the number of students in each class, observing social distancing, and conducting periodic Covid examinations for students and staff.

The recommendations of the World Health Organization published in early July stated that priority should be given to conducting examinations for students who are considered among the groups most at risk or who show symptoms of Covid infection.