Covid-19: Schools back bid to jab their kids

Teens could receive their COVID-19 vaccinations at school as part of a push to safely reopen classrooms.

Drouin Secondary College deputy principal Rob Monk: ‘We would welcome the opportunity to provide on-site vaccinations for our students.’ Picture: Stuart McEvoy

A Covid-19 vaccination program should be rolled out at schools in a bid to protect teenagers from the virus and educate the community about the benefits of vaccines, Royal Australasian College of Physicians president John Wilson says.

Professor Wilson said community nurses could be deployed to all schools to administer jabs, similar to the national program for administering vaccines for HPV and meningococcal disease.

“It would be appropriate for vaccine nurses to visit schools and educate the school community at the same time because one of the big problems we have is this issue of vaccine hesitancy, which is just tragic,” he said. “None of it is based on fact – it’s based on ­supposition and fear.”

The idea has been backed by school principals, who are concerned about the impacts of extended lockdowns and school closures on young people.

St Leonard’s College, an independent school in bayside Melbourne, has reportedly secured a supply of Pfizer vaccines and plans to offer jabs to year 12 students onsite next week.

The push to vaccinate young people comes as Victoria this week expanded Pfizer access to 16 and 17 year olds at its state-run vaccine hubs. National cabinet is expected to consider opening up vaccination to all 12 to 15-year-olds when it meets on Friday.

“We would welcome the opportunity to provide on-site vaccinations for our students,” said Drouin Secondary College deputy principal Rob Monk, pointing out it would be particularly convenient for families in rural areas. “We run vaccinations each year for various year levels and it’s no big deal. As long as families can opt in or out, no one should have a problem.”

In Melbourne’s southeast, McKinnon Secondary College principal Pitsa Binnion said she endorsed the proposal as it aligned with the health advice on the need to prevent those who contracted coronavirus being hospitalised with serious illness.

“We need the community and schools to open up,” she said. “Teachers are doing a fantastic job but learning via a screen is nothing like learning in a classroom face to face … We don’t want to deprive children of that any longer than we have to.”

Pressure is mounting on federal, state and territory governments to approve a nationwide strategy to keep schools open in the event of outbreaks.

The NSW government, which closed Sydney schools at the start of term two, is expected on Friday to release a plan for a staggered reopening that would see students from kindergarten to year 2 and senior students return once vaccination rates hit 70 per cent.

A survey by the NSW Department of Education found two-thirds of teachers have had at least their first vaccination.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been dismissive of the idea, saying on Thursday that schools would not be reopened against the health advice.

Organisations such as the RACP and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute have called for an end to blanket school closures.

In a report last week, the MCRI noted “substantial increases in admissions to paediatric hospitals for mental health, sub­stance use and suicide attempts.”

Professor Wilson said schools could be safely reopened if teachers were vaccinated, children were taught appropriate hygiene and classrooms were adequately ventilated.