Recognizing the importance of keeping its stakeholders accurately informed on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, the Department of Education (DepEd) has expressed support to the government’s vaccine information drive.

“Vaccination works, not because it is someone’s opinion or because it is the sentiment of the majority, vaccination works because it is the result of decades and even centuries of scientific endeavor, of studying, of further learning, of education,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones during the launch of a vaccine education campaign.

Dubbed, “Ugnayang Pang-paaralan tungkol sa Pagbabakuna para sa Kalusugan ng Bayan,” the campaign was held in partnership with UNILAB’s AKAP Guro CONNECTed program.

It was also organized by the government’s Vaccine Cluster - Task Group on Demand Generation and Communications to inform the general public about the national vaccine deployment plan.

Briones encouraged everyone to keep themselves informed on the COVID-19 vaccine and the government’s vaccination program during the launch.

“I enjoin everyone to continue to advocate truth, believe in science, and foster critical thinking as we all take part in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination plan through our respective roles and jobs,” Briones said.

During the program, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Vaccine Expert Panel Chair for COVID-19 Dr. Nina Gloriani was invited to discuss the vital processes of vaccine used to assure its safety, efficacy, and quality.

“What’s important is we understand that the side effects and adverse effects is to determine causality - all together, the benefits must outweigh the risks or the side effects,” Gloriani explained in a mix of English and Filipino.

A local government unit (LGU) was also invited to show how the National Vaccine Deployment Plan (NVDP) is operationalized at the local level during the launch.