PETALING JAYA: Teachers believe turning schools into vaccination centres for students is a smart move.

       A secondary school teacher from Subang Jaya, who only wanted to be known as Sri, said as students were already familiar with the school’s layout, they would be able to go in and out quickly.

       He said school grounds should be used as vaccination centres only for students to minimise the number of people and movement within the compound.

       “Also, the schools can prepare the list of students to be vaccinated and oversee the process within the school, ” he said, adding that priority should be given to students sitting for major examinations.

       On the vaccine for teachers, Sri, who is due for his second dose next week along with other teachers, said the process was going smoothly.

       “I think the pace is good and schools can plan to reopen in September once the vaccination drive covers the exam-year students, ” he added.

       A Form Six teacher from Melaka, who only wanted to be known as Amanda, said there should not be any problem administering vaccines to students at schools as such premises had been used to provide vaccines such as the BCG.

       She also said it was necessary to vaccinate exam-year students and their teachers ahead of others as they were expected to be back in school first to resume face-to-face lessons.

       However, she added that even if these groups were vaccinated, the movement control order’s standard operating procedure must remain in place as the spread of the virus could still happen.

       National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan said some schools were in good locations and were capable of handling crowds as some had been used as flood relief centres before.

       “If the authorities deem it fit, use the schools and hasten the vaccination process, ” he said.