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School clinics face closure
if vaccinations are stopped

In a circular reissued to heads of private schools last week, the health authority warned schools from discontinuing the services. It said that fines could also be imposed and school clinics closed down if necessary if violations are recorded.

As per the circular, some schools had expressed the desire to discontinue the immunisation programme since only ‘a few students’ required it. The authority had issued the same warning in June this year before summer vacation after a number of schools said they did not want to take the responsibility of administering the vaccines. Until now, nurses from the DHA have been 
administering the vaccines to schoolchildren instead of school nurses.

“This is something new for them and that is why there is some resistance,” said Amal Ali Al Mehrezi, Head of School Health Unit, Health Regulation Department at the authority. She, however, said that only a few schools had said they would discontinue the services.

For the current academic year, 187,910 students are enrolled in 142 private schools in Dubai.

“We want all schools to read the new school health guidelines and follow them. Vaccinations are a child’s right and should be administered at any cost,” she said.

As per the emirate’s new childhood immunisation policy, all school clinics have to be licensed as Vaccine Qualified Clinics (VCQs). The policy also mandates schools to appoint one full-time nurse and a part-time doctor if the school has less than 1,000 students. If the students are between 1,000-2,000, the school is required to appoint two full-time nurses and one full-time doctor. With more than 2,000 students, the schools are required to provide a nurse for every 1,000 students and two full-time doctors.

“You must continue the vaccination programme even if the number of parents who wish to immunise their children in school are a few compared to the total school population,” reads the circular.

“We will first meet with the school heads and try and sort out the problem but if the violations continue, we may issue fines or even shut down the school clinic,” said Amal.

Upon admission, each school is also required to maintain a vaccination record of the child and if parents give consent, the student is administered a vaccine. On average, a student receives up to six vaccines during the school years from Grade 1 to 10.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE