On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF stated that teachers and school staff should be included among the priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination to enable schools in Europe and Central Asia to remain open. A joint statement from the two UN agencies indicated that the measures to ensure schools stay open throughout the pandemic "include vaccinating teachers and other school staff since they are part of the population groups targeted by national vaccination plans."
It added that the recommendation, which was previously made by a group of WHO experts in November 2020 before the launch of vaccines, should be implemented "while ensuring vaccination of the most vulnerable populations." As schools reopen after the summer break, the agencies noted that "it is essential for teaching to continue in classrooms without interruption," despite the spread of the more infectious Delta variant.
WHO's Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, stated in the announcement that "it is crucial for children's education, mental health, and social skills that schools help equip our children with the tools to become happy and productive members of society." He added that "the pandemic has caused the most catastrophic disruption to education in history."
The agencies urged countries to vaccinate children aged over 12 who have health issues that put them at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The statement also highlighted the importance of measures to improve the school environment during the pandemic, including improving ventilation, reducing the number of students in each class, maintaining social distancing, and conducting regular COVID testing for students and staff. The WHO recommendations published in early July noted that priority should be given to testing students who are among the highest risk groups or show symptoms of COVID-19.
