The Department of Education on Friday said it would prefer to vaccinate all students against COVID-19 in preparation for expanded face-to-face classes.
At an online briefing, Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said this is based on their agreement with the Department of Health (DOH).
Malaluan said the DOH as well as vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. have already committed to prioritize the vaccination.
The pilot rollout of the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 is set to start on Feb. 4. According to Malaluan, there are around 14 million students in basic education who belong to this age group.
With the start of the vaccination of this age group and the ongoing inoculation drive for 12 to 17 years old adolescents, Malaluan said these would cover students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 Level.
The conduct of the expanded face-to-face classes in the country will start by February, the DepEd said.
The DOH on Friday said walk-ins for COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 were discouraged to prevent crowding at vaccination sites.
“Please avoid enrolling as walk-ins in order to prevent overcrowding at health centers, as this could lead to the spread of the virus,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a media briefing.
The rollout is set to begin in Metro Manila on Feb. 4 in hospitals such as the National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and the Philippine Heart Center, said Vergeire.
It will then move to other areas in the region, she said.
Parents or guardians must bring documents showing their relationship with the child, as well as proper identification, Vergeire said.
If parents are unavailable, guardians must present a special power of attorney. If this cannot be obtained, they need to bring a notarized authorization letter, an affidavit, or a certification signed by the barangay captain.
Vergeire advised the public to wear face masks and to observe social distancing at the vaccination sites.
Vergeire also said that adverse events following vaccination are rare.
However, she said mild side effects are expected, such as pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, and headache.
Vergeire added that the side effects would be gone within two to three days.
She also said it’s best to wait 14 days or two weeks after they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 before getting vaccinated against other illnesses so their body’s reactions can be monitored.