Vaccinating teachers a big step closer to normality – Here’s why

There has been very little positive news from the front line of the Covid-19 war, so it was encouraging to see that government stuck to its pledge to start vaccinating the more than half a million teachers and support staff in the education system.

That will certainly help cut down on the spread of the virus, but also on the future need to hospitalise these people, who are some of the most vulnerable in our society, outside those who work in healthcare.

This is because they interact daily with pupils who are, statistics show, increasingly falling victim themselves.

Curbing the spread

While pupils at schools may have a much lower incidence of serious consequences – and even death – than other age groups in the population, they have been identified as potential “vectors” for the spread of the virus.

Protecting teachers will be a major milestone in our Covid recovery. The debate continues to rage about continuing to keep schools open as infection rates spike – especially in Gauteng, now far and away the worst-hit province.

Pupils at home are often not disciplined in terms of staying isolated or following health safety protocols and could, therefore, make the situation worse.

Schools, on the other hand, often have strict protocols in terms of monitoring pupils, which are better than in the general community.

Schooling disruptions

It is also an unavoidable fact that schooling disruptions could cost yet another year in lost education for our children.

The campaign to inoculate teachers is a positive sign that the government’s jab programme is speeding up after a lethargic start.

We are going to soon see millions of doses of vaccine arriving every month and the administration processes will get better.

For each vaccination administered, we all are a little bit safer, a step closer to the normality we once knew.

Now read: SA vaccine rollout: setbacks, unreliable distribution and ageism