Grandvilliers (France) (AFP)

The Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer welcomed Monday the progress of the vaccination of middle and high school students against Covid-19, which exceeds 69% for the first injection, calling for the "voluntarism" of families to continue in this dynamic.

"It is very important that we continue the dynamic that is underway, we have exceeded the 69% of 12-17 year old students who have already had a first injection" assured the Minister, on a visit to the Fernand College. Buisson de Grandvilliers, in the Oise, where a vaccination center has been set up.

"Any college or high school student should be offered a vaccination in September and generally a second injection in October" he stressed, praising the work of state services and communities to offer students vaccinations in or near their establishment.

"It is true that I must protect others", explained the young Mattéo, 15 years old, student of 3rd in this college, after having received an injection.

"If I don't protect myself, I won't be able to protect others."

"The closed classes increased at the beginning of September, according to a curve that we know well: when we return from vacation there is always an increase, but the latest observations that we make lead us to think that we may be at the start of a descent, (…) which allows you to be serene to have as much as possible a normal school year ", also indicated Mr. Blanquer.

Currently, the ministry's protocol provides that a case of Covid in a primary school classroom results in a closure.

In the event of contamination at college or high school, students with unvaccinated contact cases must isolate themselves for one week.

According to an opinion of the Scientific Council of September 13 unveiled by the newspaper Le Monde, the experts recommend that at the primary level, screening be "systematic and weekly" and only children detected positive sent home.

"In middle and high schools, the opinion recommends screening, from the day after the appearance of a proven case, all students of the same level (and not just students of the same class, given the large mixing of adolescents between them). But then it would suffice to isolate only positive students, "says Le Monde.

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