KUCHING: All relevant parties and departments need to deliberate on whether disciplinary action can be taken against teachers who refuse to be vaccinated.
“The education department, health department as well as civil service department need to find ways to convince them before taking action,” said Dr Zuraini Seruji, from the Faculty of Language and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).
She said there were several key factors that might contribute to the refusal to be vaccinated including personal health problem.
“Looking from one perspective of why they do not want to be vaccinated, it is probably because of the concern for their own health.
“They may have chronic and comorbid diseases that we do not know. Even so, these teachers need to consult with doctors or health experts if they can be vaccinated,” she said.
Zuraini stressed if they had made unreasonable excuses to avoid vaccination, further explanations should be given about the importance and effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.
She pointed out that there might have been some misinformation regarding the vaccine which manipulated or convinced these teachers not to be vaccinated.
“If they still refuse to get vaccinated, then they need to move out from the teaching departments. Rather than putting them at schools, maybe they can be placed in divisional or state education offices.
“In my opinion, if disciplinary actions are to be taken against these teachers, it would not affect our education system.
“These teachers are everywhere in the country, so I think the ministry will have no problem in handling this issue,” she said.
