Amid the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases, parents across Abu Dhabi are taking help of the remote learning period to get their children vaccinated against the virus. The vaccination is important to enhance children's immune system and protect their health and wellbeing against COVID-19 before they return to school campuses for physical learning.

With effect from January 3, all Abu Dhabi schools resumed the second term with a remote learning model. According to an announcement made by the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee earlier, online classes are expected to take place for at least two weeks as a "precautionary measure" to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus and ensure lower infection rates in the emirate.

Egyptian parent Ahmed Mubarak has two boys aged 7 and 9 attending a private school in Abu Dhabi. Speaking with the media, he stated that he had not been able to take his kids for vaccination during the recent school break due to his busy schedule. However, remote learning period will allow him to get his kids vaccinated so that they are able to safely return to school for in-class lessons.

"We would like to have our children return to physical learning so they can interact directly with their teachers and play with their friends at school," he said.

Filipino expat John Mathew says he has scheduled an appointment next week to get his 10-year-old daughter vaccinated before schools switch to face-to-face learning.

"I believe the only way to have our children safe when they return to physical learning is to vaccinate them against COVID-19," he said.

Meanwhile, schools are also complying with the latest precautionary measures during in-person classes to enhance the safety and wellbeing of all children on the premises.

Indian father Rajeev Pravin said he will utilise the remote learning period to ensure his children get the vaccination.

"My 14-year-old daughter received both doses of the vaccine. But her siblings aged 5 and 7 are yet to be vaccinated. I will take them for vaccination early next week to be safe from the virus," he added.

A number of Abu Dhabi schools have called on the parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 to strengthen their immune response and protect them against the pandemic. They have also stressed that schools with 85 percent of their students vaccinated will be able to return to physical learning in accordance with the "Blue Schools initiative".

The Blue Schools Initiative was launched by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) to underline the significance of vaccination as a critical path to recovery. It encourages immunisation of all students to increase their protection against COVID-19 and limit the impact of further infections.

As part of the initiative, schools will be tiered based on student vaccination rates. Schools with the maximum number of vaccinated students will be able to ease their restrictions gradually, such as reduced social distancing requirements, relaxed mask-wearing protocols, increased classroom, and school transport capacity, and resumption of extra-curricular activities, events and field trips.

The four tiers are:

· 'Orange' for schools with less than 50 percent of students vaccinated

· 'Yellow' for schools with 50-60 percent of students vaccinated

· 'Green' for schools with 65-84 percent of students vaccinated

· 'Blue' for schools with 85 percent and above students vaccinated