site.btaEducation Minister Denkov Calls for Full School Staff Vaccination before Probable Delta COVID-19 Wave

July 23 (BTA) - Speaking at a news conference here on
Friday, caretaker Minister of Education and Science Nikolai
Denkov said that it is highly probableе that the coronavirus'
Delta variant will come to Bulgaria before the beginning of the
new school year. "That is why I appeal to all teachers and
principals to get vaccinated in the next days and weeks, for
vaccination in the middle of an epidemic wave is not
recommended," he said, adding that there were no plans for
compulsory vaccination of teachers, but those who do get the jab
 will get two days additional leave.
 
The two days' additional leave is given for purely medical
reasons, for in many cases the jab's administration is followed
by discomfort in the first two days, Denkov explained.

The ministry's campaign for vaccination of school staff met with
 exceptional interest, particularly after it became clear that
the greatest problem lay in the lack of adequate medical
information. After the key inclusion of specialists in the
field, preliminary information showed that in the Black Sea city
 of Varna alone, 500 teachers requested vaccination especially
for them. Denkov added that some more time was needed to report
data from this campaign.
  
Deputy Education Minister Evgenia Peeva said that, as at several
 weeks ago, over 70 per cent of the staff was vaccinated in less
 than 4 per cent of the kindergartens and schools, while in over
 65 per cent vaccinated staff was below 30 per cent. Vaccinated
teachers stand between 30 and 40 per cent in the most optimistic
 variant, Peeva commented.
  
At February 2021 teachers in Bulgaria numbered 91,467, Denkov
said, specifying that the campaign remains "open".  
  
Taking a question, he said the ministry is in favour of in-class
 school year, and remote learning is considered only an extreme
solution./NV/BR


/ДЛ/