Vaccination – the only feasible pathway for opening schools

EDITOR: Since vaccines are available for Secondary School students, most should be vaccinated by the time school opens in the first week of October, once the Ministry of Health has adequate supplies. By now all workers at school should have been vaccinated. Besides this, we still need to wear masks, keep three feet apart, sanitize regularly, and have the schools adequately ventilated. We cannot let the Pandemic overcome us. We must do whatever we can to keep it at bay.

We cannot depend on Herd Immunity, and the Bubble to save us. Salvation is an individual thing and each one must work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. The science so far is indicating that those who are vaccinated would not get very sick, would not likely be hospitalized, and would not die.

Workers in the Primary School should be vaccinated. Hopefully, vaccines would be available soon for the age group 5 to 11 years old.

The focus should now be on how to organize classes for safety. This has to be done at the school level and the principal, staff, and PTA must act to ensure safety at school. All the school space must be utilized, and students must be fully on board to take responsibility for their own safety. While Government assistance will always be needed, those on the ground must secure their own resources to address the local problems while we await help from outside. Safety cannot wait. Lapses can be a matter of life or death.

The Safety Protocol at each school should be known by all so that all can participate in policing it. Since the vaccinated can still contract and spread the virus, they must be included in any required testing measure.

We must all pray that we all would do what we can to ensure the safety of ourselves and others.

Anthony Stewart, PhD