By A Correspondent- The government has refuted social media claims suggesting that all school pupils are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they can attend lessons when schools reopen starting next week.

Speaking during a question and answer session in Parliament on Thursday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the government has no such policy.

Mutsvangwa told Senators that a Government directive to have school pupils between 14 and 17 years to be vaccinated does not mean that the programme was compulsory. She said:

With the advent of social media, there is a lot of fake news. That is why we have Cabinet briefings timely for people to validate.

There is no Government policy to have children vaccinated before going to school.

She said the decision to have children vaccinated was taken after a careful scientific study.