New COVID-19 guidelines compiled by the government recommend against the group inoculation of children aged 12 to 15 at schools -- at least for the time being -- The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Monday.
As reasons not to perform mass vaccination at schools, the government cited concern over peer pressure and the difficulty of securing on-site medical professionals to treat students in the case of an adverse reaction to the vaccine.
The guidelines will also urge schools not to make vaccination mandatory, in an effort to prevent discrimination and bullying of unvaccinated students.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry and the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry intends to circulate the guidelines to metropolitan and prefectural governments as well as other relevant bodies soon.
While indicating the government's cautious stance on group vaccination at schools, the guidelines will still grant that local governments could conduct schoolwide vaccination programs at their own discretion, if necessitated by extenuating regional considerations, such as difficulties administering shots individually at local medical institutions.
Schools that decide to go ahead with group vaccination will be asked to provide parents with thorough information and obtain parental consent. The guidelines will also ask schools to conduct group vaccinations outside school hours -- such as after school or over holidays -- and will not require students to be vaccinated as a prerequisite for participation in school-sanctioned events. These measures are meant to ensure that vaccination is not interpreted as being coerced de facto.
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