Bahamas: The Education Ministry of the Bahamas island has urged the parents to get their children vaccinated against the deadly COVID-19 mutant as soon as possible, as the country opens vaccination for the students of 12 to 18 years.
The Ministry further noted in a press release statement, “It has been a longstanding policy of the Ministry of Education that all students entering the public school system are required to be vaccinated in accordance with the routine scheduled immunizations mandated by the Ministry of Health.”
The Ministry informed that it is not mandatory for any student to demonstrate that they have received the COVID-19 vaccine to gain admittance to a public school. Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine is not included in the Ministry of Health’s immunization schedule for students.
Irrespective of not mandatory vaccination, the Ministry of Health has urged the parents to get their eligible children vaccinated.
“Based on the Ministry of Health’s recommendation, the Ministry of Education urges parents to have their children vaccinated against the coronavirus, as the Ministry seeks to provide a safe environment for the delivery of a quality education to all of our students,” the Ministry stated in a press release statement.
Additionally, the MOE encourages all stakeholders to strictly follow the health protocols imposed by the Emergency Orders, including – social distancing, frequent hand washing, sanitizing, and wearing masks.
The Health Minister of the Bahamas island – Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, on 15 August 2021, informed that a large number of the cases of the Alpha variant had been identified via Genomic surveillance.
He stated that around 100 samples had been taken in the month of July and August and were sent to Brazil this weekend for testing, and the results are likely to arrive by the end of this week. He noted that these results would confirm the presence of the other variants in the country, including Delta.
Ramanjot Kaur is a dedicated journalist with a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication, specializing in economic and political news reporting with incisive analysis and integrity.
