The head of the UN children's agency, Unicef, has called for teachers to be among those given priority access to the Covid-19 vaccines.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on children's education around the globe. Vaccinating teachers is a critical step towards putting it back on track,” Unicef chief Henrietta Fore said in a statement, according to AFP.

Teachers should be “prioritised to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated,” she said.

“This will help protect teachers from the virus, allow them to teach in person, and ultimately keep schools open.”