GEMS Surges Ahead in Vaccination Drive, But is Not Alone as Dubai Schools Begin to Ramp up Vaccine Offerings for Students

GEMS Education is stealing a lead on other school groups when it comes to vaccinating its students (and teachers), claiming it will deliver the Covid-19 vaccine to 8,000 students this week. Its drive follows the confirmation that the jab can now be given to children aged 12 years and over. GEMS is working collaboration with the authorities who are supplying doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to schools across the emirate.

More than 42,000 GEMS students are eligible to be vaccinated. So far, 1,800 have received the vaccine.

While the school group is clearly ahead in the raw numbers of vaccines given, it is not alone however in its move to offer the jab.

Delhi Private School Dubai, one of the emirate’s largest, has so far booked slots for more than 2,000 pupils, 800 of which received their first doses last weekend. One of the UAE’s largest school group’s, Taaleem, had earlier indicated to SchoolsCompared it was in the process of setting up its vaccine drive for its students. Innoventures too has indicated to us that it will offer the vaccine to its students.

“[We] will continue its work throughout the summer to ensure all our schools remain as safe as possible for our communities and we are delighted to welcome 1,600 new teachers in August,” Elmarie Venter, Chief Operations Officer, at GEMS Education, said in a statement sent to the press.

“These new teachers will also be vaccinated to join 14,700 GEMS teachers and school support staff who have already received a vaccine.”

GEMS Education is also working with the authorities in Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah to introduce a similar campaign for students there in due course.

Michael Pantoja, parent at GEMS Winchester School – Dubai, said: “The vaccine drive has been very convenient for us as a family. We had been looking around for where to get our kids vaccinated so it’s really good that this has provided this for us. My sons have been learning online 100% this year, but we were looking to send them back provided that they have the vaccine, so this is a great opportunity for us.”

Students also felt an increased sense of security and optimism knowing that a larger proportion of their schoolmates will be vaccinated before the new academic year.

Saira Sambhar, Year 9 student at GEMS Wellington International School, said:

“I feel really lucky to be able to get the vaccine through school. In some countries even the adults don’t have the vaccine yet, and we do. I’m looking forward to the next academic year and not feeling anxious or worrying that people might be sick.”

Maryssa O’Connor, Principal/CEO at GEMS Wellington International School, said: “During the COVID-19 pandemic the support of our whole school community has enabled our students to continue their outstanding educational experience at our schools. I would like to particularly thank our parents for their additional support with the current GEMS vaccination programme, which has been implemented by the authorities. This strategy will ensure that our students and school community stay as safe as possible.

I hope that this vaccination programme enables the return to the classroom of all our students as quickly as possible.”

For parents that want to find out more about the implications of a vaccination for 12-15 year olds and to assure parents, South View School is organising a seminar on Zoom with the Chief Medical Officer at Prime Medical, Mr. Adel Alsisi. The zoom link will be publicised on its media feeds on the 25th May.