-Reshma Ravishanker
Even as schools will remain shut starting Thursday (January 6) across Bengaluru for the pre-primary to IX classes, vaccination drives will continue to take place unaffected, education department officials have said.
Parents of those students studying in class IX are in limbo over whether the vaccination would continue as schools and colleges have been identified as primary sites on vaccination. Following a meeting with the high-level Technical Advisory Committee on Tuesday, the state government decided to suspend all in-campus classes with exceptions for classes X to XII, medical, nursing and paramedical colleges.
“My daughter, who is studying in class IX, was due to be vaccinated on Thursday. If schools are closed, how will we get the vaccination done? The suspension of physical classes will also mean a delay in her vaccination. If school stops transportation services, how are a lot of these children going to avail vaccines?” questioned Ranjini (name changed), parent of a class IX student.
Meanwhile, officials from the department of health and family welfare acknowledged that the vaccination drive for a section of society would be hampered due to the closure of schools. “This will affect those children born in 2007 and studying in class IX now. There could be a delay if parents refuse to send them to school as there are instructions to conduct online classes only,” he said.
The commissioner of the department of public instruction, R Vishal, however, said that children would continue to be jabbed without a break. “Parents of class IX students can still send their child to school on the day of vaccination and have it completed. Another option is that they could visit a nearby primary health centre or hospital with their ID cards and avail the vaccine,” he added.
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Karnataka: Schools must be shut as last resort, NCEE tells government
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