Union president Adam Prakash Abdullah said the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme does not include children and those under 18.

“In order to protect them, we have to vaccinate the teachers, especially teachers in rural Sarawak.

“This is to ensure a safe and stable teaching and learning environment for teachers and students alike, particularly those who were left behind due to lack of internet access for online learning,” he said.

He said the state government should make sure all teachers are vaccinated as soon as possible before schools reopen, adding that this would protect teachers, children and rural communities from getting infected with Covid-19.

Local government and housing minister Dr Sim Kui Hian said Sarawak will receive its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer by the end of the month and it will go to some 90,000 frontliners.

He said the next priority to receive the vaccine would be high-risk groups in areas with outbreaks, and this would include the elderly, those with diabetes, high blood pressure and other critical medical conditions.

Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union president Ahmad Malie agreed with Adam, saying teachers must be vaccinated before students return to school.

“We can’t deny the fact that face-to-face classes are still the most effective teaching and learning process.

“Hence, teachers need to be vaccinated before everyone returns to school and to avoid any spread of Covid-19 in schools,” he said.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST DATA ON THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA