Optimising COVID-19 Vaccination Policy to Mitigate SARS-CoV-2 Transmission within Schools in Zimbabwe.

Grant Murewanhema,Zindoga Mukandavire,Solomon Mukwenha,Tafadzwa Dzinamarira,Helena Herrera,Munyaradzi Mapingure,Godfrey Musuka,Roda Madziva,Diego Cuadros,Innocent Chingombe

doi:10.3390/vaccines9121481

Abstract

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.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of millions of children across the world
Zimbabwe has not carried out epidemiological studies to stratify school-going children at risk of COVID-19 infection, and the daily situation reports produced by the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) do not provide such granular data
Screening testing is recommended if the school is not tracking COVID-19 vaccination status of participants and support teachers and staff

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of millions of children across the world. While the rapid response teams in Zimbabwe moved in swiftly to avert widespread community transmission from clustered cases over the two months of September and October 2021, the contribution of cases linked to schools to the overall burden has remained significant At this point, the country, like many others, had rolled out vaccination programmes for its adult population, starting from 18 years of age. TThhee RRiisskk ooff SSAARRSS--CCooVV--22 IInnffeeccttiioonn aammoonngg CChhiillddrreenn TTrraaddiittiioonnaall sseeaassoonnaall rreessppiirraattoorryy vviirraall ppaatthhooggeennss tteenndd ttoo aaffffeecctt cchhiillddrreenn mmoorree tthhaann aadduullttss. Zimbabwe has not carried out epidemiological studies to stratify school-going children at risk of COVID-19 infection, and the daily situation reports produced by the MoHCC do not provide such granular data This would be important for formulating critical COVID-19 control policies in schools, including vaccination. With the recently sequenced Omicron variant, which has been detected in samples in neighbouring Botswana and South Africa, it will be important to establish the patterns of disease in children to more appropriately inform control programs

COVID-19 Testing among Children in Zimbabwe

Other Infection Prevention and Control Strategies Remain Vital in Schools

Findings

Conclusions