The Department of Health (DOH) urged parents to protect their children against Covid-19 through vaccination as the conduct of face-to-face classes is set to resume in the coming months.

“Kailangan lang siyempre (Of course), as individuals and as their parents, kailangan bigyan natin sila ng protection (we need to give them protection). And what would be the best protection that we can give them—- have them vaccinated para tumaas ang ating kumpiyansa at tumaas protection ng kabataan kung sakaling papasok na sila sa kanilang eskwelahan (to increase our confidence as well as the protection of our children once they go back to their schools),” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Wednesday, June 22.

Vergeire said that face-to-face learning has a positive impact on a child’s mental health.

“Kailangan isipin ang kanilang (We need to consider their) mental health. They have been in lockdown for more than two years already,” said Vergeire.

“This is the time for us to let them go back to school and have interactions with other people, classmates, teachers,” she added.

The government is also ensuring that the risk of children getting Covid-19 would be minimal, said Vergeire, citing the implementation of the Alert Level System.

She said that the “resumption of classes is tied with this alert level system.”

“Let us try to link our actions with the level of risk that our alert level system is providing. As long as the alert level is 1, now, we can say we can resume,” she said.

“Pero pag dumating sa buwan na magbubukas na talaga ang klase at napunta tayo sa alert level 3, definitely hindi pwede (But if we reach Alert Level 3, definitely, we will not allow it). Let us try to be more scientific in our analysis. Ito gamitin natin, ang alert level system (Let us nake use of the alert level system),” she added.

To note, Vice President-elect Sara Duterte, who will lead the Department of Education, is eyeing to implement full face-to-face classes by August.