As Omicron spurs another coronavirus wave in Pakistan, the provincial governments have started taking steps to increase the pace of vaccination and immunise the majority of the population.
In one such move, the Sindh government has made coronavirus vaccination mandatory for students above and of the age of 12 years.
According to a notification issued by the Sindh Education Department on Friday, it is obligatory for all teaching and non-teaching staff to get inoculated as well. The decision has been taken for the following reasons:
- To protect students from the fatal virus
- To let the educational process continue without any interruptions
- To save the time of students
“The administration of all privately managed educational institutions has been instructed to ensure 100% vaccination of students and staff of their schools,” it stated.
Schools and colleges have been instructed to collect a copy of vaccination cards from students, as per recommendations by the National Command and Operation Centre.
The notification added that violation of the orders will lead to fines and punishment for the school administration.
How safe are our children?
The Sindh government has been mulling on closing schools as cases continue to surge in Karachi.
Dr Faisal Mehmood, an infectious disease specialist at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, told SAMAA Digital that it was difficult to weigh between opening or closing schools at the moment.
“We need to see where our focus is. First people who have not been vaccinated and have not got a booster shot, should complete their vaccination and get the booster shot,” he said, adding that children should also be vaccinated, but first, adults should complete their vaccine doses.
Dr. Faisal urged people to follow the same precautions they had been taking in the past to avoid contracting Covid-19. “We need to wear masks, stop being at crowded places, and sanitize our hands repeatedly.”
Source: Samaa