An Auckland paediatrician says any risk to children returning to school is likely to come from adults.
Teachers fear it may not be safe to go back to the classroom, if the government decides to re-open the region's schools for the start of the new term.
Jin Russell told Morning Report research indicates children who get sick with Covid-19 have a very low chance of spreading the illness.
Dr Russell says any spread of the virus in schools is likely to be driven by adults.
"The highest risk of spread within schools that we see is from adult to adult, and then from adult to child.
"Adult to child transmission is much higher than child to child transmission, and that's why I've been saying that it's so important that we aim for as close to 100 percent of teachers vaccinated."
Dr Russell would like to see a vaccine mandate in schools.
"I think that the government needs to take their legal advice on it, but I would be grateful if it were legally possible for a vaccine mandate to be in place."
