Briones: Use of schools as vaccination sites OK only as ‘last resort’

CEBU CITY—Education Secretary Leonor Briones has prohibited the use of school buildings as vaccination sites unless as a last resort.

She also won’t allow teachers to be used as vaccinators in the government’s coronavirus vaccination rollout.

At an online press conference on Monday (March 22), Briones said under current Department of Education (DepEd) policy, the use of schools as vaccination venues was not allowed and “should be carefully assessed.”

“School buildings should only be used as a last resort if there is no other place,” she added.

According to Briones, schools are reserved as evacuation sites for calamities and disasters.

“If it will be used as vaccination sites then there would be no more place for emergency evacuations,” she said.

If there really is no other place for vaccination except the school, Briones said there should be assessment and coordination with the Department of Health and local government units first.

TSB