Message From The Director

Dear ISD Staff and Faculty,

Vaccine News

COVID-19 news now regularly includes the latest updates on vaccines. There has been great excitement as a new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson appears ready to be approved for full production and distribution.

Johnson & Johnson’s version is noteworthy due to it being a single-dose vaccine with storage at regular refrigerator temperatures. Many are now asking which of the four major vaccines is best? When asked this question, Dr. Fauci from the CDC replied, “Whichever vaccine you can get. They all provide an increased level of protection and help reduce the risk of a serious infection.” So, what are the vaccine opportunities for us living in Bangladesh? Recently, ISD reached a benchmark with all eligible National staff (i.e., those over the age of 40) being registered for the vaccine, with 70% already being vaccinated. There are indications that National teachers and staff under the age of 40 may also be eligible soon. As for Expatriate faculty and staff, those faculty and staff have all been registered with the Foreign Ministry and we are awaiting news about the timeline for those vaccinations to begin. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to be vaccinated when it becomes available. We will provide more information about these opportunities as the government provides it.

The Value of Baby Steps

We all are anxious to end the pandemic, but it is unlikely we will wake up one morning and find that it has suddenly disappeared. Please remember that health authorities predict that mask-wearing and other safety protocols will likely need to be in place for many months to come and even likely through the end of 2021. This does not mean we need to isolate ourselves until then. It does mean, however, it is imperative for us to keep learning how to keep ourselves safe as our immunity expands and the virus is eventually defeated. At ISD, we have been learning and we pledge to keep learning until we are living in the post-pandemic world.

 

Kurt Nordness
Director
International School Dhaka