Vaccination should be mandatory for teachers and school staff – science chief

We are facing an imminent rebound in covid-19 Eduardo Ortega, secretary of the National Secretariat for Science and Technology told  La Estrella.

Despite being one of the countries on the continent with the best rates of pandemic control, scientists are concerned about the arrival of the omicron variant that, added to the end-of-year parties and face-to-face classes, could cause pressure on the health system.

However, there is a significant percentage of Panamanians vaccinated with two doses (80%) that could cushion hospitalizations. Removing the mask, for now, is not an option. According to Ortega, we would repeat the European scenario.

There are 4,000 unvaccinated teachers and Ortega believes that anyone offering a service to the public should have both doses of the vaccine and the teachers and administrators, those who transport them in school buses, those who feed them and clean the schools should be vaccinated. The only barrier we have today to protect children, if they are not yet vaccinated, is that the adults around them are vaccinated.