We would like to announce that the following three administrative notifications regarding countermeasures against COVID-19 in schools issued by MEXT.
Contact:
The Office for a Professional Platform of Health and Hygiene Environment in Schools for Foreign Students provided by MEXT
TEL: 050-3187-8114 (a multilingual consultation service)
Email: hsfs@mediphone.jp
Request for Further Efforts for Promotion of Vaccinations against the Omicron Variant for Teachers and Staff
Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau,Elementary and Secondary Education Planning Division,MEXT
For the last two years, COVID-19 infections have spread at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, and, moreover, experts have warned of concurrent spread of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza this autumn and winter.
Recently the Cabinet Secretariat issued its “Request for Further Efforts for Promotion of Vaccinations against the Omicron Variant” (Administrative notification dated November 4, 2022, Cabinet Secretariat). The Cabinet Secretariat has requested to inform relevant organizations of further promotion of implementation of vaccinations targeting the Omicron variant.
Teachers and staff are indispensable for continuing school affairs, ensuring the continuous learning of students and maintaining societal functions in the local community. From the viewpoint of safeguarding the places of learning for children and continuing educational activities, we would like to ask you to pay attention to the notices below, and request schools under your jurisdiction to provide information on vaccines targeting the Omicron variant to teachers and staff, and enable all teachers and staff who so want to be vaccinated before the end of the year.
We are sharing this announcement with you with the hope that it will be utilized as a reference for your consideration of your responses to COVID-19.
To Prefectural miscellaneous category school departments: Please send this notification to the miscellaneous schools for foreign students under your jurisdiction.To JCIS and AEBJ: Please send this notification to members of your council or association.
(1) Notification to teachers and staff regarding vaccinations
Please inform teachers and staff of vaccinations by providing/utilizing the following publicity materials.
Leaflet
・3rd issuance: Shortening of Dosage Interval to Three Month (October 2022)
Reference: The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) website (in Japanese)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001004214.pdf
・2nd issuance: 2nd Bivalent Vaccine against the Omicron Variant (Ver. 2) (October 2022)
Reference: The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) website (in Japanese)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000999261.pdf
Video
○Neo x Dr. Kinoshita, “Asking about the New COVID-19 Vaccine” (Japanese only)
https://nettv.gov-online.go.jp/prg/prg25464.html
(2) Group vaccinations at local government large-scale vaccination locations and workplace vaccinations
We ask that you provide vaccination opportunities for teachers and staff by actively conducting large-scale vaccination locations and workplace vaccinations.
(3) Preparing environment for facilitating vaccinations for teachers and staff
Please facilitate vaccinations appropriately for teachers and staff, such as by exempting teachers from duty of devotion for the time period required for vaccinations to the extent that it does not interfere with their work.
Attachments
・ “Request for Further Efforts for Promotion of Vaccinations against the Omicron Variant” (Administrative administration dated November 4, 2022, the Cabinet Secretariat). *Attachments 1, 2 omitted (Attachment 1)
・3rd issuance: Shortening of Dosage Interval to Three Month (October 2022) (Attachment 2) (in Japanese)
・2nd issuance: 2nd Bivalent Vaccine against the Omicron Variant (Ver. 2) (October 2022) (Attachment 3) (in Japanese)
・ “The Policy behind COVID-19 Vaccinations for Local Government Public Employees” (Administrative notification dated May 28, 2021, Policy Division, Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau, MEXT) (Attachment 4)