At a time when there is a threat of a new variant of coronavirus, thousands of female schoolteachers are still avoiding vaccination due to rumours about its effects.
As per private school associations, around 60 per cent female teachers are unwilling to get the vaccine. They include both married and unmarried women. They are reportedly reluctant because of fears of risks related to pregnancy.
Officials of the health department blame their higher authorities for not launching any awareness campaign for female teachers to remove their concerns regarding the vaccine.
The private school unions say thousands of schoolteachers are still not vaccinated against coronavirus and their ratio among female teachers is about 60 per cent.
The majority of female teachers avoiding the vaccine are young.
"The majority of female teachers in private schools in Punjab, rather the whole country, have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 and the major fault is of the Punjab health department that never listened to our concerns in this regard," said Private Schools Management Association president Kashif Adeeb Jawdani in reply to a question.
He said the school owners had raised the issue from day one at different platforms and had been telling the authorities about hesitance of female teachers to be vaccinated.
"We understand that vaccination is the best solution to avoid the disease in the prevaling situation but we have to run an awareness campaign in this regard. However, the health minister has not bothered to address this issue," he said.
He said the school owners were willing to join the government in the vaccination campaign but it should start a series of lectures and seminars at private schools to address the concerns of female teachers.
"Young as well as married females among private school staff are among those avoiding the vaccine.
We have come to know that parents of some young teachers have also urged them not to get the vaccine," said Private School Association leader Amir Bashir Aavi while speaking to The Express Tribune.
He said similar problems were also being faced in many universities and departments because of lack of awareness.
Meanwhile, coronavirus patients are being registered in several districts, while Punjab government also recently launched a door to door vaccination campaign.
The health department claims to have achieved the targets but there appear to be flaws in the vaccination campaign.
"The 'reach every door' vaccination campaign is in its second phase in Punjab. There is no doubt that there is enough stock of the vaccines in the province. However, speculation still exists in sections of the society, especially girls, in this regard," said a senior official of the provincial health department.
"In the government sector, due to different restrictions we forced the female faculty to take the vaccine but we have no solution for the private sector. There is need of practical steps and the first steps for such young females is to launch an awareness campaign. However, the authorities in the health department did not consider this factor," the official said.
He said there were fears of the spread of a new variant of coronavirus originating from Africa.
"We can only request the health minister to address this issue and start an awareness campaign for vaccination of women. We also do not appear to be taking serious steps like other countries of the world to cope with the threat of the new variant of the virus," the Punjab health department official added.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2021.
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