Poland puts off mandatory jabs for teachers, police, army

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Health Ministry says that the March 1 deadline of full vaccination for teachers and so-called uniformed services is being pushed back indefinitely because it cannot be met. Last year the government said teachers, medics, police, armed forces and firefighters need to be inoculated by March 1 if they want to perform their jobs. But the Health Ministry’s spokesman said Tuesday the deadline cannot be kept under the current pace of vaccination and the requirement remains in force only for medical staff. Poland is going through the pandemic’s fifth wave with almost 36,000 new cases and almost 290 COVID-19-related deaths reported Tuesday. Some 57% of the population of 38 million is fully immunized.