Coordination meeting: Giving COVID-19 vaccines to students above 12 discussed

The Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win delivered an address at the coordination meeting to give COVID-19 vaccines to middle and high school students above 12 of Basic Education Department under the Ministry of Education at the hall of Bayintnaung Villa, Nay Pyi Taw, Thursday afternoon.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vice-Senior General said Myanmar is facing an 8.3 per cent infection rate of COVID-19 based on the 29 September data. So, efforts are being made to decline the infection rate from less than five per cent to the non-infection stage in line with the guidance of the Chairman of the Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19 Chairman of the State Administration Council and the WHO.

A plan was adopted to complete vaccination for 50 per cent of the people above 18 years at the end of December 2021. Meetings are being held to emphasize the reopening of schools beyond the long October holidays with the aim of enabling the students to be free from infection of COVID-19 and learning education with health.

It is necessary to fully vaccinate COVID-19 vaccines to all middle and high school students when the schools have been reopened. Only when vaccination has been completed will students, teachers and parents have mutual trust for teaching and learning. The Union Minister for Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement, the Deputy Minister for Education and the Deputy Minister for Health discussed the plan to give assistance for vaccination, enrolment and attending of basic education students across the nation and the plan on vaccination of Sinovac vaccine.

In his response, the Vice-Senior General said data of the Ministry of Education must be adjusted with that of regions and states for vaccinating the students before reopening the schools. It is necessary to notify the parents of vaccinating the students and mention the notification at the vaccination centres.

Departments need to coordinate with each other to compile the list of students without citizenship scrutiny cards. In his concluding speech, the Vice-Senior General stressed the need to submit the reports on strength of students, enrolment numbers and attending students in regions and states.

The Tatmadaw and Myanmar Police Force need to systematically form the forces to take the security measures for the vaccination programmes. Region and state authorities need to review the completion of vaccination, remaining of vaccines and further plans depending on accepting the vaccine.