Delays push Covid punches teenagers in England into the Christmas period | Corona Virus

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Delays in the Covid-19 vaccination program for 12-15-year-olds could push vaccinations into the Christmas period as local health teams target reluctant parents through Zoom sessions and ‘vaccine’ clinics are planned to isolate missed pupils Punches in schools.

School principals called for more resources to speed up the plan as it became clear that the government’s goal for the half-term program would not be met.

Public health teams in Stockport and Oldham have advised schools that Covid vaccination sessions will continue until mid to late November. Schools elsewhere, including in north London, Watford and Staffordshire, have been told that vaccination teams won’t visit until next month. Other principals are still waiting for an appointment.

Five educational unions wrote yesterday to the Minister of Education, Nadim Zahawi, urging him to reintroduce safety measures in schools, including social distancing, bubbles and face masks in secondary schools.

Cases of Covid-19 are declining among almost every age group in England, with the exception of school children and their parents’ generation. More than 200,000 students were out of school for Covid-related reasons last week, up 67% from the previous week. A rise in Covid cases in schools has led to renewed restrictions in some areas. Cambridgeshire public health officials have asked schools to re-wear masks and social distancing, while some schools in Kingston, London, have intermittent finish times.

Some local NHS teams have asked pupils to isolate whether a sibling has tested positive. Suffolk County Council has been accused of introducing “vaccine segregation” by telling parents that if children aren’t vaccinated, they must stay home for up to a week if a sibling tests positive. Children who have been vaccinated will be allowed to continue going to school as usual if a sibling contracts Covid.

High transmission rates have affected vaccinations as pupils who test positive have to transmit for 28 days before they can be immunized. Local health teams are now planning vaccination clinics to pick up children who have missed their vaccinations at school. It will also cater to seven-year-olds who turn 12 years old after receiving the first wave. Local vaccination teams are running at full capacity as they also have to run the school’s flu vaccination programme, which this year has been extended to all students.

Jeff Barron, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “There is growing frustration among school leaders about the delay in rolling out Covid vaccines for children aged 12 to 15. We are at a loss to understand why the government has not focused more on ensuring this happens. as soon as possible.

“The main problems appear to be that there are not enough staff on health care teams to vaccinate many students at once, and the demand for the vaccine has outpaced supply.”

Councils and local health officials, meanwhile, are conducting “vaccination webinars” to persuade reluctant parents to give their consent that their children are being challenged at school. Official enrollment rates have not yet been released, but health officials have expressed concern that if they follow the pattern of adults, children in disadvantaged areas will be less likely to be immunized and therefore more likely to have their education disrupted.

Parents across the country, including the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Greenwich, Merton and in Leicestershire, are being invited to webinars to put their concerns to doctors and vaccine specialists. At last week’s Barnet Council session attended by about 100 parents, health officials were questioned about whether children who had already contracted Covid and had natural immunity should be challenged and why the UK had started vaccinating children while other countries had not. . Myocarditis, myocarditis, and possible changes in girls’ menstrual cycles are also discussed. Some families raised concerns that their refusal to give consent was not respected.

Health officials have reassured families that only students with “explicit parental consent” will receive the vaccine on immunization days at school. They said “processes” are currently being put in place to administer the vaccine to children who want it but do not have parental consent and are being evaluated as being able to understand the decision-making process and health effects – known as “Gelick efficiency”.

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