Vaccination of 791,000 teachers may start in June

INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The vaccination of about 791,000 teachers, considered as “frontline personnel in basic education and higher education institutions and agencies” may start by June, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Monday.

Teachers have moved up in the COVID-19 priority list from the previous B1 category to the A4 category.

This number already excludes teachers who are senior citizens and have comorbidities who are already vaccinated or already set for vaccination against severe respiratory illness.

“Siguro mga June ito mag-umpisa kasi by that time mag-start na ng enrollment, marami nang activities sa eskwelahan at saka kailangan protektado ang mga teachers,” she said in a Palace briefing.

(Maybe this can start by June because, by that time, enrollment will start, schools will already have many activities and teachers need to be protected.)

DepEd Sec. Leonor Briones

She said teachers may no longer need to register for vaccination since the government already has a list.

“Napakalaking jump nito para sa mga teachers, magandang magandang balita para sa lahat. Matagal na namin itong kinakausap at kinakampanya para masama ang teachers sa mauna na mabakunahan sa A-list at galing sa B,” Briones said.

(This is a big jump for teachers. This is good news for all. We have been pushing and campaigning for teachers to be included in the A-list from the B-list.)

Last week, the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) announced that education workers have been included in the A4 cluster, which is next in line for COVID-19 vaccination after medical frontliners, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.

gsg