All teachers to be vaccinated by July 8, says Angie Motshekga
All teachers will receive a Covid-19 vaccination by the time the winter school holiday begins, basic education minister Angie Motshekga said on Saturday.
Briefing the media in Pretoria about the impact of Covid-19 on schools, Motshekga said 582,000 staff at public and private schools would be vaccinated between Wednesday and July 8.
"As a sector we had appealed to cabinet and the department of health that teachers should be prioritised and we are excited that vaccines have been secured," said Motshekga.
"We have been working around the clock to finalise a plan for the vaccination of our staff. Subsequently, this morning we also had consultations with out other key stakeholders."
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Motshekga said vaccinations would be "voluntary but highly recommended".
She said she had met teacher unions, school governing bodies, independent schools and the principals' association before a meeting of the Council of Education on Saturday morning to brief them on the vaccination plan.
"We will be vaccinating irrespective of age and we will be vaccinating SGB-appointed teachers as well as teachers at private schools."
This is a developing story.
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