Arushi Bidhuri
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Updated : August 26, 2021 12:18 PM IST
Image credits by: Reopening Of Schools With Unvaccinated Kids: Is It Call For An Early Doom?
Almost two years and the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect the livelihood of people across the globe. Children are no different! Since March 2020, most of the schools worldwide have been shut, and the students are attending their classes virtually. As per the latest report by UNICEF on 'Pandemic Schooling', schools for more than 168 million children have been completely shut for more than a year due to COVID-19 lockdown. The report also suggested that 14 countries globally have remained closed from March 2020 till February 2021. The executive director of UNICEF also emphasized prioritizing the need to re-opening physical learning at schools at the earliest possible.
In India, there was a phased re-opening of schools for high school students, but it got shut again in view of the rising cases of the second wave of COVID. It was recently that the Government of India decided to call on the opening of schools for students in many parts of the country. However, this thought led to concerns amongst the parents who feared for the safety of their pupils.
A recent survey published in a national daily done with more than 30,000 people suggested that almost 50% of the parents did not wish to send their children unless they are vaccinated. Only 18% were ready to send as early as possible, and the rest were undecided. But the question remains, is vaccination of kids a must to send them to schools?
As per WHO, children should have access to schools as early as possible, and vaccination should not become a barrier to learning and schooling. Dr Charu Dutt Arora, COVID care expert and Head Consultant- Home Care services at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad says, "School going children represent less than 10% of the total reported cases. The mortality and severity rate is far less than the number of adults. It is more important for the adults around these kids to be vaccinated and keeping safe for the safety of everyone. There are children who have pre-existing health conditions such as Bronchial asthma, diabetes and autoimmune diseases who need stricter monitoring and stay-at-home strategies. Just the way re-opening of markets and public places have started in a phased manner, schools too should follow the similar mandate."
According to Dr Dutta, there are things that need immediate attention to avoid transmission at schools and keep the child safe.
Remote learning has helped the children to a large extent in the past 18 months. However, in-school learning is the ideal way and needs to be done for a holistic approach for a child's better future. Since child vaccination is underway and hopeful to begin by September for children above the age of 12 years, it would be more relaxing for the parents to shed their inhibitions and send the kids to schools.
Disclaimer: The content on TheHealthSite.com is only for informational purposes. It is not at all professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for any questions regarding your health or a medical condition.