CHED: Guidelines underway to possibly deploy med students as vaccinators

MANILA, Philippines — Guidelines are now being crafted on possibly deploying medical students as vaccinators in the COVID-19 inoculation program after this proposal was met with a “positive” response from higher education institutions, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said Tuesday.

“Last week, kasama ko si Secretary Vince Dizon. Umupo kami kasama ang mga state universities and colleges, private schools na merong medical at nursing program, because we are looking into the possibility of harnessing the fourth year and fifth year students and those that have graduated but have not passed the licensure test as additional vaccinators sa ating vaccination response,” CHED chairperson Prospero De Vera said in a televised briefing.

(Last week, I was with Secretary Vince Dizon. We met with state universities and colleges, private schools that offer medical and nursing programs because we are looking into the possibility of harnessing the fourth year and fifth year students and those that have graduated but have not passed the licensure test as additional vaccinators.)

“Positive naman ang response ng mga eskwelahan, we are now crafting the guidelines to see how it will work. Kasi kailangang kailangan natin ng dagdag na tulong sa pagbabakuna habang dumadami na ang dumadating na bakuna sa atin,” he added.

(The schools had a positive response and we are now crafting the guidelines to see how it will work. We need more help in the vaccination as the number of vaccines we are receiving also increases.)

In Manila City, medical schools have joined forces with the local government unit for its COVID-19 vaccination program.

Over 13.3 million individuals have so far been fully vaccinated in the Philippines with 31.4 million vaccine doses administered as of August 25.