Teachers and other school staff will be suspended without pay for the duration of quarantine if they’re not vaccinated by November, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said in a statement on Oct. 13.
“Vaccination for teachers provides the possibility not just to continue to work and provide quality instruction to pupils,” Lyashko said. “We are primarily talking about protecting one’s own life and the health and safety of children.”
Vaccination is being made mandatory for educators and government employees, the government announced last week.
Education workers and government officials come into contact with many people every day, and therefore have a high risk of coronavirus infection.
Despite COVID-19 vaccines being available to the Ukrainian public since Feb. 24, only 15% of the country’s population have received at least one shot. According to a recent poll, 56% of Ukrainian adults do not want to get a jab, and 52% object to compulsory vaccination.
Additionally, the State Commission for Environmental Safety supported the ministry’s proposal to reschedule the fall school break from Nov. 1 to Oct. 18.
“The situation with the coronavirus infection is getting worse, everyday hundreds of children test positive to Covid-19, and thousands of students along with their professors are sent home for quarantine,” the ministry said in a statement.
