School teachers to be vaccinated on priority ahead of Teachers Day: Union Health Min

New Delhi: The governments of all States/UTs have been asked to vaccinate school teachers on a priority basis ahead of Teacher’s Day on September 5, informed the Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday.

The Health Min took to his official Twitter account and wrote “Besides the scheme of providing vaccines to every state this month, over 2 crore addl doses of vaccine are being made available. We’ve requested all states to try to get all school teachers vaccinated on priority, by 5th Sept – Teachers’ Day.”

इस महीने हर राज्य को वैक्सीन उपलब्ध करवाने की योजना के अतिरिक्त 2 करोड़ से ज़्यादा वैक्सीन की डोज़ उपलब्ध कराई जा रही हैं।

हमने सभी राज्यों से अनुरोध किया है कि 5 सितंबर को मनाये जाने वाले शिक्षक दिवस से पहले सभी स्कूली शिक्षकों को प्राथमिकता देकर वैक्सीन लगाने का प्रयास करें।

— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 25, 2021

The schools across the country have been shut since March 2020 in view to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection. The students have been attending classes in online mode.

The Centre had allowed reopening of schools as per the COVID-19 situation in October last year. While several states began partial reopening of schools, there was a complete closure again in April when an aggressive second wave of COVID-19 hit the country.

With the improvement in the COVID-19 situation, several states have begun reopening schools now  and concerns have been expressed over the staff and teachers not being completely vaccinated. Hence the vaccination for teachers is being prioritized.