Gatchalian urges LGUs, schools to prepare for booster shot rollout
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday, June 24 urged local government units (LGUs) and schools to prepare for the rollout of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots among minors aged 12 to 17.
Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Basic Education Committee, made the call following the approval by the Department of Health (DOH) of using the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as a booster dose for the 12-17 age group.
According to Gatchalian, giving booster shots to minors in this age group would give them an added layer of protection as the Department of Education (DepEd) eyes the full resumption of face-to-face classes in August.
He also emphasized the need to protect minors amid a steady increase of new Covid-19 cases nationwide.
Gatchalian reiterated the need for schools to proactively participate in the Covid-19 vaccination program. This is to ensure efficient identification, inoculation, and monitoring of learners who are eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccines and booster doses.
Last May, the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 gave instructions to make Covid-19 vaccines available in schools, a move that Gatchalian supported.
While Covid-19 vaccination is not mandatory for face-to-face classes, Gatchalian maintained that increasing Covid-19 vaccine coverage among learners will add safety when schools reopen next academic year.
He said all measures must be adopted to ensure the safety of students as they return to face-to-face classes.
Gatchalian has called on the incoming administration to open all schools, child development centers and Alternative Learning System (ALS) community learning centers to accelerate the recovery of the basic education sector from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.