Head teachers yesterday warned it will be more difficult to guard against ‘educational disruption’ after the Government’s advisers ruled out jabs for over-12s.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the virus posed such a low risk to 12 to 15-year-olds that the benefit of a mass rollout would be marginal.
But Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he was ‘disappointed’ by the JCVI’s decision.
Head teachers yesterday warned it will be more difficult to guard against ‘educational disruption’ after the Government’s advisers ruled out jabs for over-12s (stock image)
He said: ‘We understand this decision has been made after making an assessment of the balance of risks and with all the available evidence, and we respect that decision.
‘Nevertheless, the upshot is that this would make it more difficult during the autumn term and beyond to guard against educational disruption caused by transmission of the virus.’
But Mr Barton welcomed news that the ‘door appears to have been left at least partially open as the Government looks at wider issues including disruption to schools’.
The UK’s four chief medical officers will spend the next week weighing up whether vaccinating secondary school aged children will have a broader benefit to society.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the virus posed such a low risk to 12 to 15-year-olds that the benefit of a mass rollout would be marginal (stock image)
Additional safety measures in schools will become ‘more important’ if they decide not to agree to the jab, the country’s largest teaching union warned yesterday.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: ‘Sadly, in taking away so many safety measures last term, without replacing them with others, the Government has left schools open to another rise in case counts – which will mean many children and staff missing school if they test positive.’
The National Association of Head Teachers also called on ministers to improve ventilation in schools.
General secretary Paul Whiteman said: ‘With the decision not to vaccinate younger teens now taken, ventilation continues to be a critical part of schools’ efforts to maintain a safe working and learning environment.’
JEREMY HUNT: Fire up the boosters... or risk a catastrophe
Commentary by Jeremy Hunt for the Daily Mail
As autumn arrives, the picture on the Covid front looks troubled. Rates of infection remain high and hospitalisations and deaths from the virus are creeping upwards.
On one day this week, the total number of Covid fatalities hit 207, the first time the 200 barrier has been breached since March.
Against this backdrop, a key priority for the Government must be to avoid another lockdown. So soon after the return to normality this summer, reimposition of draconian controls would be a disaster, devastating the economy, wrecking businesses, costing the Treasury a fortune, undermining mental health and damaging education.
Nor is it likely the public would show the same levels of compliance as in the first lockdowns. Explosive unrest of the kind now afflicting Australia – where a heavy-handed crackdown has prompted widespread resistance – could be repeated here.
What Britain urgently needs is to give a renewed impetus to the vaccine programme by providing booster jabs to the adult population (stock image)
But there is an alternative to social restrictions. What Britain urgently needs is to give a renewed impetus to the vaccine programme by providing booster jabs to the adult population.
