Increasing COVID-19 vaccination for school students: DoE

The Directorate of Education (DOE) on Wednesday directed its officials to take various measures to expedite the COVID-19 vaccination of children in the age group of 15 to 17 years. All the DDEs (Districts) and DDEs (Zones) will visit the vaccination centers under their jurisdiction and check the vaccination procedures on a daily basis. In addition, they will visit schools to check records being maintained with principals in which students are informed about vaccination schedules, the DoE said in an official order.

The officer will also randomly call students and parents to find out whether they were informed about the vaccination and whether they have been vaccinated or not. It said heads of schools would also need to step up solidarity efforts to ensure more than 80 percent of children in each school are vaccinated.

Vaccination for children in the age group began on 3 January. “There should be better coordination between the nodal teacher of morning and evening shifts in government schools so that all the children can come in session time (9 am – 5 pm). It states that where the vaccination team goes to a designated school, there should be clubbing of 3-5 schools and children from all affiliated schools can be mobilized there.