Wycombe High School headteacher, Sharon Cromie has entered the debate about vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds by voicing her concern that this year’s A-level and GCSE examinations may be cancelled for the third year in a row.
The UK’s vaccine advisory body has refused to give the green light to vaccinating healthy children aged 12-15 years on health grounds alone. The JCVI said children were at such a low risk from the virus that jabs would offer only a marginal benefit.
The UK’s four chief medical officers have now been asked to have the final say, and to consider the wider impact on schools and society. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said a decision will be made shortly.
Mrs Cromie told Wycombe Sound radio’s Collin Besley this morning: “Certainly, in a school context it’s not just the personal safety of the 12 to 15-year-olds, it is enabling them to stay in school, enabling schools to stay open and not passing this virus on to loved ones.
“So, all in all I think the vaccination programme gives us all a very good chance of being able to return to open and more free, not just society, but keeping schools open . Because, if schools do not stay open, nationally, examinations next summer will be under question”.