Public school teachers receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the City of Manila in April this year. (INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
MANILA, Philippines — Contrary to its previous pronouncement, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said all school personnel who will participate in the pilot implementation of in-person classes should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
DepEd Planning Service Director Roger Masapol said school personnel should be fully inoculated against the severe respiratory disease.
He also said school personnel should be 65 years old and below with no comorbidities.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said teachers and non-teaching school personnel aged below 65 years old and do not have comorbidities can participate in the pilot run of limited face-to-face classes regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
DepEd Secetary Leonor Briones (FILE PHOTO)
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire explained that the mandatory vaccination of school personnel was recommended by health experts.
“This was agreed upon by DOH and DepEd that indeed vaccination is there to ensure the safety of our children,” she said.
Vergeire added that the government has ordered to fast-tracking of the COVID-19 vaccination for public and private school teachers, as well as non-teaching personnel.
Education frontliners are part of the A4 priority group of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program.