Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of millions of children across the world. Since March 2020 when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Zimbabwe, the country, like many others, has gone through periods of closing and re-opening of schools as part of the national COVID-19 contro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/12/1481 |
| _version_ | 1797500060361031680 |
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| author | Grant Murewanhema Solomon Mukwenha Tafadzwa Dzinamarira Zindoga Mukandavire Diego Cuadros Roda Madziva Innocent Chingombe Munyaradzi Mapingure Helena Herrera Godfrey Musuka |
| author_facet | Grant Murewanhema Solomon Mukwenha Tafadzwa Dzinamarira Zindoga Mukandavire Diego Cuadros Roda Madziva Innocent Chingombe Munyaradzi Mapingure Helena Herrera Godfrey Musuka |
| author_sort | Grant Murewanhema |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of millions of children across the world. Since March 2020 when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Zimbabwe, the country, like many others, has gone through periods of closing and re-opening of schools as part of the national COVID-19 control and mitigation measures. Schools promote the social, mental, physical, and moral development of children. With this viewpoint, the authors argue that schools should not be closed to provide a measured and efficient response to the threats posed by the COVID-19 epidemic. Rather, infection prevention and control strategies, including vaccination of learners and teachers, and surveillance in schools should be heightened. The use of multiple prevention strategies discussed in this viewpoint has shown that when outbreaks in school settings are adequately managed, the transmission usually is low. The information presented here suggests that schools should remain open due to the preponderance of evidence indicating the overriding positive impacts of this policy on the health, development, and wellbeing of children. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:56:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7ebcca34ad74688809fc41b2b9f7d9a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:56:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7ebcca34ad74688809fc41b2b9f7d9a2023-11-23T10:54:57ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2021-12-01912148110.3390/vaccines9121481Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in ZimbabweGrant Murewanhema0Solomon Mukwenha1Tafadzwa Dzinamarira2Zindoga Mukandavire3Diego Cuadros4Roda Madziva5Innocent Chingombe6Munyaradzi Mapingure7Helena Herrera8Godfrey Musuka9Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, ZimbabweICAP at Columbia University, Harare, ZimbabweICAP at Columbia University, Harare, ZimbabweCenter for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Emirates Aviation University, Dubai P.O. Box 53044, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USASchool of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKICAP at Columbia University, Harare, ZimbabweICAP at Columbia University, Harare, ZimbabweSchool of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UKICAP at Columbia University, Harare, ZimbabweThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of millions of children across the world. Since March 2020 when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Zimbabwe, the country, like many others, has gone through periods of closing and re-opening of schools as part of the national COVID-19 control and mitigation measures. Schools promote the social, mental, physical, and moral development of children. With this viewpoint, the authors argue that schools should not be closed to provide a measured and efficient response to the threats posed by the COVID-19 epidemic. Rather, infection prevention and control strategies, including vaccination of learners and teachers, and surveillance in schools should be heightened. The use of multiple prevention strategies discussed in this viewpoint has shown that when outbreaks in school settings are adequately managed, the transmission usually is low. The information presented here suggests that schools should remain open due to the preponderance of evidence indicating the overriding positive impacts of this policy on the health, development, and wellbeing of children.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/12/1481COVID-19vaccinationschoolsZimbabwe |
| spellingShingle | Grant Murewanhema Solomon Mukwenha Tafadzwa Dzinamarira Zindoga Mukandavire Diego Cuadros Roda Madziva Innocent Chingombe Munyaradzi Mapingure Helena Herrera Godfrey Musuka Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe Vaccines COVID-19 vaccination schools Zimbabwe |
| title | Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe |
| title_full | Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe |
| title_fullStr | Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe |
| title_short | Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe |
| title_sort | optimising covid 19 vaccination policy to mitigate sars cov 2 transmission within schools in zimbabwe |
| topic | COVID-19 vaccination schools Zimbabwe |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/12/1481 |
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