By Stuart Bogere Oswald

KIU, Main Campus - Government has tasked all teachers to receive mandatory COVID-19 vaccination before reopening schools for all learners across the country.

The announcement was made by Emmanuel Ainebyona, the spokesperson Ministry of Health, adding that a total of 209,336 (38%) teachers out of 550,000 had so far been vaccinated.

Ainebyona said that about 357,500 (65%) of teachers must be vaccinated and, so far, 6 out of every 10 teachers have not been vaccinated yet, in the seventh month after the government kicked in the first vaccination last year with teachers and health workers being the priority.

Out of these, only 47,310 have been fully vaccinated while 162,026 have received only one dose, hence 340,664 are yet to be fully vaccinated.

Patrick Muida, the Asst. Commissioner Communications and Information Management at the Ministry of Education, said the ministry is currently out in the field mobilising teachers to get vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health now has to vaccinate 151,164 teachers to hit the target of 65% as announced by the Ministry of Education so as to reopen schools.