Call to fast-track jabs for VCE students

Experts are calling for Victorian teachers and Year 12 students to get urgent access to Covid vaccinations to prevent further learning disruptions.

A student at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College in Braybrook sanitises her hands as she arrives at school. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Leading experts are calling for Year 12 students and teachers to be urgently prioritised for Covid-19 vaccinations to avoid ongoing outbreaks in Victorian schools.

It comes after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced 20,000 Year 12 students would be vaccinated in eight hotspot LGAs over five days.

In Victoria’s recent outbreak, 10 schools, including the prestigious Trinity Grammar in Kew, were exposed to several positive Covid-19 cases.

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute group leader Professor Fiona Russell, who led a study of Covid-19 school closures last year, said Victorian Year 12 students should be prioritised for the jab.

“The Victorian experience last year had a major impact on children and teenagers regarding their mental health and there’s been such a big increase in mental health referrals,” Prof Russell said.

“I think what NSW is doing — vaccinating teachers and Year 12 students is a really important move — they obviously really know how important it is to look after their students.

“We could have a sixth, seventh or eighth lockdown this year … we should be preparing in advance for that.”

Former World Health Organisation epidemiologist and University of South Australia Professor Adrian Esterman said teachers should be prioritised for the jab rather than Year 12 students.

“Teachers are in what I would describe as the exposed group because they’re older, which puts them at more risk, they should be a priority, but children less so because the younger you are the more mild the infection,” Prof Esterman said.

Australian Education Union Victorian Branch President Meredith Peace said the union has been advising members as well as the wider community to follow the official public health advice.

“That remains our position,” Ms Peace said.

“In line with that position, the AEU would expect that considerations about the need to vaccinate students in Victoria would be made by public health officials.

“We continue to demand that the federal government prioritise the vaccination of education workers, in recognition of their status as essential workers.”

Education minister James Merlino said more than 60 per cent of Victorian teachers were now eligible for the vaccine.

“We encourage everyone to get the jab to protect themselves, protect the most vulnerable in our community and keep Victoria open,” he said.

“While we would like to implement school-based vaccination programs, the reality is we just don’t have the supply of vaccines because the Commonwealth missed their opportunity to secure our country’s supply.

“Our biggest barrier to any priority vaccination rollout is the limited vaccine supply Victoria continues to receive from the Morrison Government.”

Opposition education spokesman David Hodgett said the Liberal Party strongly supported willing teachers to be given priority for vaccination.

“We have been calling for this since early June. We do not support mandatory vaccination but we would hope that there would be strong support amongst the teaching profession for vaccination in order to both protect teachers and students from Covid-19 disease,” he said.

“We also support willing students to be given priority vaccination, particularly those in years 11 and 12 whose education and preparation for the important final end of year exams continue to be negatively impacted by lockdowns.”

Originally published as Call to fast-track jabs for VCE students