Low Teacher-Student COVID Vaccination, IDAI Aceh Has Not Recommend Face-to-Face Learning

Health workers inject the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to SMAN-2 students (ANTARA)

ACEH - The Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Aceh Branch has not recommended the implementation of face-to-face learning (PTM) for schools in the province, considering that the COVID-19 vaccination coverage for students and teachers is still low.

“That's our recommendation (not yet feasible, ed.). Because immunization coverage (COVID-19) is still low," said IDAI Aceh Chair Herlina Dimianti in Banda Aceh, Antara, Tuesday, September 14.

Data from the Aceh Education Office as of August 30, 2021 stated that only about 10 thousand of the total 94,000 teachers and education personnel at the SMA, SMK and SLB levels throughout Aceh had been injected with the COVID-19 vaccine.

While the total number of students in Aceh reached 577,015 people. Of the total, only 19,521 people have received the first dose of vaccination and nine thousand of them have received the second dose.

The Directorate General of Early Childhood Education, Basic Education, and Secondary Education of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture said that Aceh is currently at a limited PTM implementation rating which reaches 81 percent.

So far, Herlina considers that schools in Aceh are still tenuous in implementing health protocols, starting from maintaining distance, wearing masks, and diligently washing hands.

IDAI is worried that it will create the transmission of COVID-19 in school clusters, if the implementation of health protocols in the school environment continues to be tenuous and vaccination coverage for teachers and students is still low.

Therefore, IDAI Aceh will recommend face-to-face learning if the vaccination coverage rate for students and teachers is high, as well as the government guarantees strict implementation of health protocols in the school environment.

"For example, the number of classes is sufficient for 'physical distancing', applying health protocols strictly, meaning that if it can be realized then IDAI has provided recommendations," he said.

Not only vaccinations for teachers and students, IDAI also urges all people in the school environment to get COVID-19 vaccinations such as cleaners, security guards and others.

Therefore, IDAI also continues to disseminate information to groups of children and teachers in an effort to accelerate vaccination, in collaboration with district/city governments, the Education Office, Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) and other related sectors.