Teachers and school administrators from Akhaltsikhe learned more about various aspects of the COVID-19 vaccination and participated in a vaccination event organized by UNICEF.

At the meeting preceding the vaccination, the leading doctors and healthcare professionals answered questions from the audience about a variety of topics including: COVID-19 in Georgia and global trends, risks and preventive measures; the importance of immunization and COVID-19 complications among children; and the vaccination of patients with allergies, as well as chronic heart and respiratory system conditions. The event was aimed to provide the most needed information about vaccination to the teachers and to engage them in the COVID-19 vaccination process.

The meetings were facilitated by prominent medical experts, including: Bidzina Kulumbegov, Medical Doctor at the Center of Allergy and Immunology; Ivane Chkhaidze, Chair of the Pediatric Department at Tbilisi State Medical University; Zviad Kipiani, Head of the Cardiology Department and President of the Georgian Heart Failure Association; Khatuna Zakhashvili, Head of the Department of Communicable Diseases of the National Center for Disease Control.

In his opening remarks, UNICEF Representative stressed the importance of immunization and keeping schools safely open for children.

“Vaccination of key frontline workers, such as teachers and school administrators, is essential to ensure safer environment in schools and other education institutions. Immunization is crucial in combating this pandemic which is affecting every one of us. Now, with the worsening of the epidemiological situation, urgency of engaging as many people as possible in the vaccination process is especially pressing”, - said Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.

UNICEF has been advocating for COVID-19 vaccination among different groups of the society - teachers, doctors, religious leaders and community representatives.

UNICEF Georgia has been supporting the Government of Georgia in carrying out routine immunization programmes and has facilitated engagement with COVAX on COVID-19 vaccines upon the request of the Government.