Chhatrapur: Even as the second wave of Covid pandemic is yet to abate with health experts warning of a third wave, teachers in Ganjam district are not showing enough inclination to take the Covid vaccine to check the spread of the pandemic, a report said.
Reports said over 112 teaching and non-teaching staff of various schools and colleges have not yet taken Covid vaccines. They are reportedly reluctant to take vaccines and playing truant.
There are 996 teaching and 386 non-teaching staff in schools and colleges under Chhatrapur block and NAC area. Out of them, 712 teachers and 248 non-teaching staff have taken both the doses of Covid vaccines while 196 teachers and 114 non-teaching staff have taken only the first dose of vaccine.
Sources said that spread of Covid pandemic among children has raised concerns among all. While there is no facility for Covid vaccines for the children it is mandatory for the teaching and non-teaching staff of schools and colleges to take the jab.
The health and education departments are monitoring the vaccinations of the teaching and non-teaching staff of schools and colleges on a daily basis.
Awareness drives are being conducted in schools and colleges and all concerned are motivated to take the vaccines. However, despite a series of measures, many teachers and non-teaching staff of schools and plus two institutions under this block have not yet taken Covid vaccines.
Sensing the hesitation, Abinash Satapthy, block education officer of Chhatrapur block launched a special vaccination drive for the teaching and non-teaching staff of various institutions under the block. The staff of the Munsipentha community health centre (CHC) assisted the programme following which many teaching and non-teaching staff took the vaccines.
According to reports available from the BEO’s office, as many as 88 teaching and 24 non-teaching of various government, private and grant-in-aid schools and colleges under the block and the NAC area are yet to be administered with vaccines by Friday. Among teachers, three are from government institutions while 85 of them are from private institutions.
Similarly, out of the non-teaching staff one from government institutions and 23 from private institutions have not taken vaccines.
PNN
