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Unvaccinated teachers outside priority areas to be considered for COVID jab if face-to-face classes materialize
Unvaccinated teachers outside priority areas to be considered for COVID jab if face-to-face classes materialize
Unvaccinated teachers, who will be part of the proposed pilot face-to-face classes but are from areas that are not prioritized for vaccination, will be considered for inclusion in the priority list.
Department of Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said during a televised briefing Monday, Sept. 6 that if the pilot face-to-face classes received a green light from President Duterte, they will ensure that teachers, who will work under the face-to-face scheme, will be vaccinated.
"May kasunduan din tayo sa DOH (Department of Health) na yung mga nasa schools na kalahok sa pilot face-to-face classes ay kahit hindi nasa priority areas ay bibigyan ng konsiderasyon sa vaccination ang mga guro na magiging kalahok (We have an agreement with the DOH that teachers in schools that will be part of the pilot face-to-face classes will be considered for vaccination even though they are not in the prioritized areas for vaccination)," Malaluan said.
At present, the vaccination rate among teachers nationwide is approaching 30 percent.
"Yung sa mga areas na talagang priority sa national vaccination because of the level of infection in those areas ay doon din tayo mas mataas ang rate of vaccination (Those areas that are under the national vaccination priority due to the level of infection are also the area where the vaccination rate are high)," Malaluan said.
Some 120 public and private schools are being eyed to be part of the pilot face-to-face classes if approved by the President.
According to Malaluan, the public schools have been identified while private schools, which were only added to the plan recently, are still under evaluation.
The undersecretary also said that they are hoping to be included in the next cabinet meeting to present the guidelines for the proposed pilot face-to-face classes to seek the approval of the President.