Covid vaccination banned in schools
A health worker vaccinates a member of the public against Covid at KCCA headquarters in December last year. PHOTO/ISAAC KASAMANI
What you need to know:
- According to the Ministry of Education and Sports school calendar for this year, second term holidays will run from August 13 to September 4.
The government has banned Covid-19 vaccination in all schools across the country and advised parents who are interested in vaccinating their children to take them to hospitals and other designated centres.
Under the new government directive, no child should be vaccinated while at school and no school should be turned into vaccination centre.
The head teachers in both public and private schools have also been warned against illegal Covid vaccination mandates.
Speaking to journalists in Kampala yesterday, the State Minister of Education, Dr Joyce Kaducu, reiterated the First Lady’s position that no child should be vaccinated without the consent of parents or guardians.
Even where the parent(s) consent, the minister maintained that children should be vaccinated from hospitals and other designated centres.
“For you to vaccinate the children, their parents, guardian or sponsors must consent. And this process means that we must not vaccinate at schools. That means you go with your daughter or son to a vaccination centre. You have to consent before vaccination is done, “Dr Kaducu said.
“This matter is being taken to Cabinet that will approve modalities of where do we want to vaccinate, whom do you want to vaccinate and who is to consent. Cabinet will approve and Ugandans will be informed, but for now, no vaccinations at schools are allowed. This is our position on this issue and it’s clear,” she added.
Responding to Dr Kaducu’s directive, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health , Dr Diana Atwine, yesterday reiterated that the vaccination will be conducted at health facilities and other designated areas.
“We will not do Covid-19 vaccination from schools, we encourage parents to take their children to health facilities and any other vaccination centres,” she said.
Dr Atwine said vaccination of children against Covid would commence during second term holidays.
According to the Ministry of Education and Sports school calendar for this year, second term holidays will run from August 13 to September 4.
The chairman of the National Private Educational Institutions Association, Mr Hasadu Kirabira, said the ideal would be for the Ministry of Health to vaccinate children from schools if they are to capture a bigger number of learners.
Mr Kirabira said vaccination is necessary because schools are finding hard times to encourage learners especially in over populated schools to maintain some of the standard operating procures such as, maintaining social distance and wearing masks.
“I am of the view that it takes place within schools. The schools would consent parents and after invite Ministry of Health to vaccinate children who do not have other health complication to be able to capture a bigger number of learners if we are to fight Covid in schools. Vaccinating learners from villages may not yield expected results,” Mr Kirabira said.
SOPs observance
Citing resurgence of Covid-19 infections in the country, Dr Kaducu urged schools to reinforce implementation of Covid -19 standard operating procedures to prevent the spread of the virus in schools.
“Covid-19 threat is real. The Ministry of Health has registered new cases and schools should ensure that SOPs are observed,” she said. According to the ministry officials, the country now loses about two people to Covid-19 on a daily basis.
