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Friday, March 29, 2024

‘Go full blast in teachers’ vaccination’

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As the government prepares to pilot test face-to-face classes,  Sen. Nancy Binay urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to go full blast in inoculating teachers and set a target vaccination rate of 100%.

She noted that vaccination should be made accessible to all our teachers and school personnel.

She said  DepEd should target a full vaccination coverage of not 30%, not 50%, but 100%” as soon as possible.

The senator aired her concern after DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan reported that only 30% of DepEd personnel had been inoculated.

“DepEd has to find ways for teachers to have full access to available vaccines. I don’t understand why they are not as persistent as the transport or tourism sector given the fact that teachers are considered part of the essential workforce,” she said, adding that “Are they not bothered on the probability that those teaching our children are not vaccinated?” 

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Binay proposed that a special vaccination program for teachers, similar to what was done for the transport and tourism industry workers, should be in place to ensure safety in schools selected for pilot testing.

The concern here, she said, is that teachers “are not getting access to vaccination and my feeling, perhaps, it’s not hesitation but more of access to vaccines.”

According to DepEd, the pilot test of face-to-face classes in the country will start on November 15. The assessment of the initial run will be conducted from November 15 to December 22, while the end of the pilot study is scheduled for January 31.

In February, the DepEd is set to evaluate the pilot study, identify other schools for expansion of the face-to-face classes, inspect sites, and present to President Rodrigo Duterte the report on the pilot test and the proposed expansion

Currently, only 59 out of the 638 nominated schools have passed the risk assessment of the Department of Health for the limited face-to-face classes. 

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