27% of college students vaccinated vs. COVID — CHEd
College students in La Union province wait for their turn to receive jabs against COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Commission on Higher Education-Ilocos region)
MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-seven percent of college students nationwide have been vaccinated against COVID-19, Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Prospero de Vera said Friday.
According to De Vera, CHEd is pushing for a higher vaccination rate among college students in order to safely open limited face-to-face classes in more degree programs.
“Ang target natin ay lahat na sana ng estudyante ay mabakunahan. Kasi doon sa kinuha naming data on the ground sa mga nagre-report na eskwelahan, 27 percent pa lang ng mga estudyante nationwide ang vaccinated,” he said during the Laging Handa briefing.
(Our target is to have all college students vaccinated. Bsed on data we gathered, only 27 percent have been vaccinated.)
De Vera said he and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. have been going around different universities across the country to oversee the vaccination of students.
“Ang ginagawa namin ni Sec. Galvez ay sinisigurado namin doon sa pagikot sa mga pamantasan na kung kulang yung supply ng bakuna doon sa local government, nire-redirect ni Sec. Galvez yung bakuna para dumating yung bakuna at specifically naka-target doon sa mga estudyante, yan ang intervention ng National Task Force,” De Vera added.
(Sec. Galvez and I make sure that vaccines arrive in the local government units and also reach target students.)
“Doon sa allocation ng vaccine, mayroong vaccines allocated exclusively to students doon sa area kaya importanteng maimbentaryo natin kung ilan na ang nabakunahan, ilan pa ang kailangan mabakunahan, para mailagay yung tamang bilang ng bakuna para sila’y mabakunahan kaagad.”
(A certain number of doses are set aside for students, hence we need to determine the number of vaccinated students so that proper allocation and immediate vaccinaton are achieved.)
Earlier, De Vera said that COVID-19 vaccination is not a requirement for students attending limited physical classes.
Nevertheless, he underscored the importance of getting more students as well as faculty members vaccinated.
So far, 71 percent of faculty members and education personnel nationwide have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to De Vera.
