Sindh to start Covid-19 vaccination campaign in schools, colleges from Sept 6

Health department's 2,527 teams will participate in a vaccination drive against the deadly pandemic

KARACHI:

The Sindh health and education departments announced on Monday that a Covid-19 vaccination drive will commence in the province's schools and colleges from September 6.

Schools across Sindh resumed classes from today as per a notificatio issued by the provincial School Education and Literacy Department. According to the notification, schools shall remain open six days a week, with 50% attendance of students on alternate days.

Today’s meeting was chaired by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah and was attended by Parliamentary Health Secretary Qasim Soomro, Health Secretary Kazim Jatoi, Education Secretary Akbar Leghari and other officials through video link.

The forum reached the decision that the health department's 2,527 teams would participate in the vaccination drive against the deadly pandemic.

During the campaign, about 1.4 million students from grades nine to 12 would be vaccinated against the disease.

In the first phase, the vaccine campaign would commence at the district level which would later be extended to a sub-division level.

The forum also decided that the school administration would contact the children's parents and seek their consent whereas parents should be taken into confidence for the vaccination.

“Registration should also be ensured once the vaccine is completed.” the provincial health minister said.

Minister Sardar Shah said that vaccination will be necessary for the continuation of the teaching process and for the safety of children. The health department would be responsible for making arrangements of Covid-19 vaccines in the educational intuitions, he added.