The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Tuesday, Sept. 21, announced that it has reached “herd immunity” with employee vaccination.
Chairperson Popoy De Vera said that all CHED offices nationwide have achieved the required vaccination level to protect their employees during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“The best way to curb the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated,” De Vera said. “The need to be vaccinated is to protect the basic interest of the right to life,” he added.
Data from CHED showed that a total of 1,198 out of 1,280 --- which accounts 93 percent education frontliners --- have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This, he explained, is part of the CHED’s efforts to protect its employees as they strive to deliver essential services to the clientele and stakeholders amidst the ongoing public health situation in the country.
“The high vaccination rate gives them the confidence to ensure that essential education services continue in the midst of the pandemic,” De Vera said.
LOOK: @PhCHED announces that it has reached herd immunity with employee vaccination @manilabulletin (Photos from CHED) @manilabulletin pic.twitter.com/5G6svRbbQg
— Merlina Hernando-Malipot (@MB_InaHernando) September 21, 2021
CHED said that highest vaccination rates are in the following offices: 43 out of 43 (100 percent) in CHEDRO-1; 34 out of 34 (100 percent) in CHED-MIMAROPA; 44 out of 45 (98 percent) in CHED-CAR; 508 out of 529 (96 percent) in the CHED Central Office; 48 out of 50 in CHEDRO-3 and 45 out of 47 (96 percent) in CHEDRO-7.
Some of the remaining employees from the different offices, De Vera said, are awaiting a schedule in their respective LGUs.
No hesitancy Meanwhile, De Vera noted that one of the factors that led to CHED’s high vaccination rate is the willingness of its employees to get the jab.
"There appears to be no vaccine hesitancy among CHED employees,” De Vera said.
The facilities of the CHED Central Office, De Vera said, observe very strict protocols and its frontline workers are regularly tested.
Meanwhile, De Vera thanked the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for upgrading the classification of education frontliners to A4, the Department of Health (DOH), and the local government units (LGUs) where CHED offices are located for the “well-organized, orderly, fast and efficient vaccination process.”
In particular, De Vera also thanked Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte for helping CHED set up vaccination in the CHED Central Office to ensure efficiency and responsiveness to its employee needs.
“Some of our very own CHED officials and staff helped in administering the COVID-19 vaccines,” De Vera said.
Likewise, De Vera thanked Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro for the partnership that allows CHED’s employees to be tested in their facilities. “The efficiency of Marikina City is truly commendable, and I say this both as CHED Chairman and IATF overseer on Marikina City,” he added.
Lastly, De Vera expressed gratitude to the local government units (LGUs) for recognizing the critical role played by frontline workers and their “full support to include our employees in their vaccine roll out.”