The three Rs (+1)

Summary:

With schools across the UK open or in the process of reopening, the government’s decision not to prioritise COVID-19 vaccination for teachers and school staff is baffling

The UK and US governments have made the reopening of schools a central plank of their COVID-19 strategies. President Biden called it a ‘national imperative’¹ while Prime Minister Johnson said it ‘marks a truly national effort to beat this virus’². Both claimed to be following the science. The two strategies^3,4 emphasise hand washing, facemasks for staff and students (US all ages; UK just secondary schools), physical distancing, cohorting (‘bubbles’), cleaning and contact tracing. The US includes vaccination for all school staff^3,5, while the UK puts its faith in rapid asymptomatic screening using lateral flow tests (LFTs)⁴. Most people would agree that avoiding further disruption to children’s learning is vital…

Author: Ballard J

Tags COVID-19 pandemic

Occupational Health at Work April/May 2021 (vol. 17/6) pp03

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