Only schools with large venues and ample facilities will be considered as vaccination centers, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).
In an online interview with PTV on Tuesday, Education Sectary Leonor Briones disclosed they are already in talks with the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the schools that could be tapped for the government’s inoculation drive for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
She noted public schools were considered for the activity for having clinics and classrooms, where the administration of vaccine can be done.
“This has to be planned carefully because we have schools, which have large clinics and some which small clinics. So it [selection] will depend on the school,” Briones said.
Briones clarified she is not keen on allowing teachers to administer the vaccine since they maybe accused of medical malpractice.
Selection process
Chief implementer of the government’s national policy on Covid-19 Carlito G. Galvez said it will be up to the local government units (LGU) in coordination with local health officers to pick their vaccination centers.
However, he said the said vaccination centers, should to be used for vaccination should have a large venue as well as separate room to ensure that social distancing as well as minimum health standards will be observed.
The vaccine czar said they are prioritizing hospitals and health centers to become vaccination centers, but due to sheer number of people, who will be vaccinated, he said are also considering auditoriums as well as schools.
“We need to vaccinate as much as possible at least 100,000 to 200,000 per day to achieve our target 70 million (people). If you compute it, we will need to vaccinate at least 250,000 per day. For that, we need more vaccination centers,” Galvez said during a forum in Pasig City on Tuesday.
He said they will use the conduct of the elections as model for holding the Covid-19 vaccination drive of the government, which is expected to start during the first half of the year.