The Department of Health (DOH) said that Covid-19 vaccination sites will be set up in different schools to encourage more eligible students as well as their guardians to get vaccinated against the viral disease.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire made the statement as different schools are already preparing for the resumption of face-to-face classes starting November.
“We are going to set up vaccination sites in schools to further encourage not just children, but also their mothers when they go to school and bring their children there. They are there already. They might be more encouraged because iyong access ay binigay na natin sa kanila,” said Vergeire in a television interview on Friday, July 15.
Apart from students and their guardians, this move may also encourage unvaccinated school employees to get their Covid-19 jabs, said Vergeire.
Vergeire also disagreed to make vaccinations mandatory for students.
“Definitely, the vaccination should not be a prerequisite to going to school. This would disenfranchise other children whose parents would really not allow their children to have themselves vaccinated,” she said.
“Education is a right. We cannot take it to another mandate wherein they will not be able to go to school because of this,” she added.
Offering incentives can also help encourage students and their guardians to get vaccinated, said Vergeire.
“What we need to do is incentivize and also we need to encourage our mothers, our guardians that their children get vaccinated. What we need to do as a government is to ensure that there is this safe environment for our children when they get back to school,” she said.
Last July 8, the DOH expressed its support for full implementation of face-to-face classes.