DepEd orders measles watch
Education Secretary Armin Luistro: Mobilization. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education (DepEd) has issued guidelines for its antimeasles campaign in response to what it described as the “alarming increase” in the number of individuals contracting the highly contagious respiratory disease.
In a DepEd memo, Education Secretary Armin Luistro directed school heads to send home students who exhibit “flu-like symptoms.”
He also asked them to disseminate information about measles, immunization and coordinate with local government health units for the “complete vaccination of children.”
“The regional directors and student division superintendents (SDS) shall mobilize all school officials to undertake supportive activities,” the memo said.
The DepEd also asked schools to “identify” through the Preventive Alert System for Schools (Pass) cases of measles and report them to the local health units.
The Pass is a systematic relay of information about the state of health of students and teachers to the agencies in the locality.
Under the system, principals are required to conduct daily health checks.—Kristine Felisse Mangunay
