Gov't urged to prioritize teachers in COVID-19 vaccination
MANILA, Philippines — Teachers must be among those given priority access to coronavirus vaccination, according to a lawmaker who said that educators’ immunity is key to safely resuming in-person classes.
In a release Wednesday, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian called on the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to include public school teachers, along with non-teaching staff and school administrators, in the priority groups for the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination.
Giving educators priority access to inoculation is a “crucial step in ensuring the safety of school premises and in building confidence for the gradual resumption of face-to-face classes,” said Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on basic education, arts and culture.
“Because our teachers, principals and school personnel serve as frontliners in the continuation of education, they deserve to be among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccine,” he said in Filipino.
The government is eyeing to vaccinate 24.7 million Filipinos in the first part of the country's immunization program next year. Health workers, frontliners from various government agencies, senior citizens, poor Filipinos and uniformed personnel make up the list of COVID-19 vaccine first takers.
The UNICEF earlier said that vaccinating teachers after frontline health personnel and high-risk populations is a “critical step” toward putting children’s education back on track.
“This will help protect teachers from the virus, allow them to teach in person, and ultimately keep schools open,” Henrietta Fore, UNICEF executive director, said.
The Department of Education is preparing for a dry-run of face-to-face classes next month in areas with low risk of COVID-19 transmission.
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