February 05, 2021ย โ Public school teachers will assist the national government in its vaccination program through information drive.
This is what Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones emphasized in a recent press briefing, clarifying that teachers would not administer vaccines against COVID-19 once it is available.
โDini-deny namin iyong perception na ang mga teachers ay sila mismo ang mag-vaccinate ng ating mga kabataan or your fellow teachers dahil may COVID o wala, anong klaseng sakit o wala, very strict ang protocol sa medicine na kung hindi ka trained medical personnel, hindi ka naman talagang isasabak sa mga medical procedures,โย Secretary Briones said.
Citing discussions with the Department of Health (DOH), Briones noted that teachers can help inform learners on the overview of the national governmentโs vaccine program.
โAng malaking kontribusyon ng mga teachers ay iyong pagpalaganap ng impormasyon hinggil sa vaccine. But even for that, kailangan silang i-brief nang husto, nang maayos ng malaman nila talaga kung ano benefits o ang protection na maibigay ng vaccine sa mga teachers,โย the Education chief said.
โTeachers are trained to teach, not to administer vaccine,โ Sec. Briones added.
On using schools as vaccination centers, she stressed that it will be a case-to-case basis since not all schools are equipped with spaces and equipment for the program.
โKailangan iplano iyan nang maayos kasi mayroon tayong schools na malaki ang clinic, mayroon namang schools na maliit lang, isang kuwatro lang ang clinic. So depende iyan sa sitwasyon ng eskuwelahan,โ she said.
Currently, schools act as distribution sites for learning packets and Self-Learning Modules.
โWilling tayo tumulong, but ang interest natin is to protect the children, teachers, and staff,โ she said.
She shared that schools are only used as quarantine facilities upon the approval of the request of concerned local government units (LGUs).
Secretary Briones also addressed concerns on blended learning and ways forward for the current school year during the online press conference.
Photo and article credit to DepEd Philippines
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