Gov’t eyes to inoculate 90% of teachers, students by end November

MANILA – The government targets to complete the vaccination of at least 90 percent of teachers, students, and other education personnel against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) by the end of November.

Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19, said this is part of the government’s preparation to ensure a safe learning during the gradual reopening of face-to-face classes amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“On the opening of the school, we will vaccinate teachers and students and personnel to at least 90 percent before the end of November,” Galvez said during President Rodrigo Duterte’s prerecorded Talk to the People aired late Monday.

Citing data from Commission of Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Prospero de Vera, Galvez reported that only 57 percent of teachers and students were vaccinated against Covid-19, pushing the government to further scale up the vaccination drive for the education sector.

Anticipating expanded face-to-face classes, de Vera earlier urged college students to get inoculated against Covid-19.

“The good news is in some schools, the vaccination level is very high, as high as 90 plus percent. And 53 percent of our HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) have reported a vaccination level of more than 75 percent among their personnel,” de Vera said.

Meanwhile, Galvez described the vaccination of minors ages 12 to 17 years old as an “instrumental tool” for the opening of face-to-face classes and “ancillary businesses” related to the education sector.

“Allowing them to have leeway to move around and play will not just help in protecting the mental well-being of minors, but also revive economic activities especially this Christmas season,” he said.

According to the 2021 Philippine Projected Population data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are 12,722,070 young population ages 12 to 17 years old in the country.

The rollout of pediatric vaccination nationwide will begin on October 29.