Campaign to vaccinate students against coronavirus 71% complete: Arakan State military council spox

By DMG 26 Oct 2021

DMG Newsroom
26 October 2021, Sittwe 

The vaccination of students over 12 years old in Arakan State is about 71% complete and public schools will reopen after all eligible students are vaccinated, according to the Arakan State Administration Council. 

A Covid-19 vaccination campaign targeting students over age 12 in Arakan State began last week and currently, about 160,000 students from 13 townships in Arakan State have been inoculated, said U Hla Thein, a spokesman for the Arakan State Administration Council. 

“Students from Buthidaung, Sittwe, Kyauktaw and another township have not yet received the Covid-19 vaccine,” he added. 

U Hla Thein urged parents to make necessary preparations for their children’s return to the classroom. 

“The schools will be reopened after all students are vaccinated. The Union government has announced the reopening [criteria] for schools. We also have to think about when we can open and do the things we have to do in advance,” he said. 

Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the State Administration Council (SAC), told a news conference on September 30 that if the Covid-19 infection rate in Myanmar drops below 5%, basic education schools across the country would be reopened. 

The infection rate in Arakan State is currently less than 5%, according to the Arakan State Administration Council. 

“As a student parent, I am glad to hear that the school will reopen. My child has been vaccinated twice with the Covid-19 vaccine, but there are some concerns for the kids. However, if the school reopens in accordance with the Covid-19 rules, it is welcome,” said U Aung Kyi Moe, the father of a student in Sittwe. 

“It is not possible to predict the opening of schools,” said Daw Khin San Wai, a senior assistant teacher in Buthidaung Township. “Once the Covid-19 vaccine is given to students, it is expected that the schools will reopen. When the schools reopen, there won’t be much time for the students, so we discussed with each other how to do the lessons if there is an exam.” 

Schools have been closed since July 9 amid a deadly third wave of the Covid-19 virus in Myanmar. In 2020, schools throughout the country were closed the entire academic year due to the pandemic.