BENGALURU: St. Mary's Girls High School in Miller's Road sent out a message to parents stating that students need to get vaccinated before the board exam. They said since it is compulsory, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike will be organizing a vaccination camp in the school itself.
"Vaccination certificate is a must for the board exam. Girls who were absent today must be vaccinated from whichever place you prefer. You must produce the certificate by this week itself. It is compulsory and one must take it seriously," they said in communications over WhatsApp.
A parent voicing his concern said that this puts them in a pressurizing situation.
"We are not against the COVID-19 vaccine but forcing it is not the way to do it. There is not enough data on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in children. We want to watch out how the drive pans out over the next few weeks, see how children react and then get our children vaccinated," a parent said.
Sister Sharlet, Principal of the school confirmed that they have made it mandatory for the students and added that they did so on the Education department's orders. They can take it in the school or outside, she said. However, a source from the office of the Primary and Secondary Education Minister, BC Nagesh, said that though schools can encourage vaccinations, they aren’t allowed to force students to get vaccinated, according to the guidelines issued by the Government of India.