MANILA, Philippines — More universities could soon become sites for the country's COVID-19 vaccination program, the Commission on Higher Education said Tuesday.
Facilities of six higher education institutions that were cleared for limited physical classes were tapped by the agency to help in inoculation efforts that began this March.
They are: University of Santo Tomas' hospital, Manila Central University's gymnasium and the Our Lady of Fatima University in Metro Manila, St. Louis University's gymnasium in Baguio City and the Central Philippine University in Iloilo City.
In a Laging Handa briefing, CHED Chairperson Prospero de Vera III said they will meet Tuesday afternoon with the Department of Health and over 30 universities that have retrofitted their facilities to discuss which could be added as vaccination sites.
"So retrofitting the campuses serves a double purpose," he said in Filipino. "It's not just so they can hold limited face-to-face classes but also to help with the government's vaccine drive."
CHED announced last week that 24 colleges and universities were cleared for limited in-person learning. This was particularly for students in medicine and health-allied programs that require hands-on training and laboratory classes.
READ: DepEd: Use public schools as vaccination centers only as last resort
The Duterte administration had approved of the commission's proposal back in January, as Malacañang said the training of would-be medical personnel is crucial now more than ever that the coronavirus pandemic is ongoing.
By March 29, data from the DOH showed 15,836 health workers have contracted the COVID-19, with 82 dead and 511 remaining as active cases.
De Vera said limited physical classes would automatically be cancelled in schools that would report any infection.
But, he said, the chances of this happening are unlikely if the health protocols set are strictly followed.
"Those that were approved saw zero transmission among their students," the CHED chief said. "This means that the preparations they made were correct, including their coordination with local govenrments."
Public schools within the K-12 system, meanwhile, should only be used as last resort for vaccinations, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said over the weekend.
By March 27, health officials said over 656,000 individuals had received their first dose of the COVID-19 jabs, with 2,494 sites now conducting inoculations.