PARENTS AND STUDENTS PROTEST AGAINST VACCINE MANDATE IN SCHOOLS

Disgruntled parents and students protested outside Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education this morning against the government’s decision to enforce a vaccine mandate in schools.

Currently, children between 12 and 18 years old, who are not vaccinated against coronavirus, cannot attend school.

But, an online platform is available for the students to continue their education.

Last week, the Ministry of Education said around 3,000 of the 8,000 students, who are eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, are unvaccinated.

One activist spoke to the media and said the children are suffering under the current policy.

“Our children are languishing for want of a good policy and a good system in Antigua and Barbuda. Remote learning is a national disaster and our children have not been able to get an adequate education as demanded by the Education Act of Antigua and Barbuda,” he said.

“We have to stand up for our children. If we don’t stand up, we are going to have a set of children that are not educated, that cannot pass CXC, that cannot get good jobs and that just makes us beggars in Antigua and Barbuda.”

Prime Minister Gaston Browne made it clear last month that the country will not be “limping” into 2022 with the burden of unvaccinated citizens.

“We are not going to go into 2022 limping and creating more stress and strain for the economy. The economy cannot take any more stress, cannot take any more strain and those who may want to suggest that it may be irresponsible for us to do so, well, you know what, our people would have had several months to get vaccinated,” Browne said.

The government has plans to vaccinate over 60,000 citizens and residents by year’s end.

Just over 52,000 people are vaccinated.