The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Regional Health Services in Region Two has commenced a massive sensitisation campaign on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that are expected to be administered to students 12 who are years and older.
The campaign saw teachers attached to various secondary schools in Region Two venturing into the fields to meet with parents about the vaccines, 100,000 doses of which are expected to arrive next month.
According to the region’s Education Officer Nichola Matthews, consent forms are available at almost all government offices as well at the public hospitals in the region.
She said that currently teachers and educations officers are dispatched to various communities to reach out to parents and educate them about the vaccines. The Department is working closely with the Regional Health Services team to ensure that parents are educated about the vaccine. Matthews said once consent forms are filled, then the information is inputted and sent to the Ministry for tabulation. So far she said parents are willing and many of them have signed the consent forms.
The Regional Education Officer said that with the need for the school to be reopened soon, children must be immunized and this can only happen if there is a multi-stakeholder approach. She said consent forms are available for parents to sign and submit, which serves are proof of permission given by parents for their child/children to be vaccinated.
Parents or guardians will also be required to be present on the day when his or her child is vaccinated.
Regional Health Officer Dr Ranjeev Singh said that sensitisation is the first process. He said it is important for parents to ensure that their children take the vaccine, which reduces their risk of serious illness if infected with COVID-19. He said the vaccines are an opportunity for parents to protect their children. He also said his office will be working closely with the Depart-ment of Education to ensure that the process is done smoothly and parents understand the importance of getting their children vaccinated.
According to Johns Hopkins online, although COVID-19 in children is sometimes milder than in adults, some can get severe lung infections, become very sick and require hospitalization. Children can also have complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children that may require intensive care or long-lasting symptoms that affect their health and well-being. The virus can cause death in children, although this is rarer than for adults.
