As school-based vaccinations are regularly being conducted in public schools every Friday, the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force said private schools can also request school-based vaccinations from the Vaccination Cluster.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the spokesperson of the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force, said, “Kung naa gyud mo’y desire (If you really have the desire) to have this COVID-19 vaccination, just coordinate with our Vaccination Cluster. Just express your desire to have the school-based vaccination, rest assured you will be attended to as soon as possible.”
Schlosser, in a recent Bida Bakunado program of 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR), said they launched the school-based vaccination to increase the number of vaccinees in the pediatric population, particularly in the five to 11 years old bracket, which remains low.
“Gamay ra nagapabakuna labi na sa five to 11. Sa 12 to 17, they are eligible for booster doses na kasi. Kung pila ang number sa fully vaccinated na mga 12 to 17, dapat mao pud tong number sa atong booster doses (Very few get vaccinated, especially from the five to 11 age group. From 12 to 17, they are eligible for booster doses. Whatever number of fully vaccinated individuals we have in the 12 to 17, we should also have a similar number of boosted vaccinees),” she said.
As of November 10, 2022, the Vaccination Cluster reported that with a target population of 188,385 in the five to 11 years old age group, only 19.17 percent (36,114) received the first doses. And of this number, at least 15.22 percent (28,680) got their second dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine.
In the 12 to 17 population, only 6,347 received their first booster shots among the 142,369 fully vaccinated individuals.
“Tutukan nato ang pagpataas sa number of vaccinees sa atoang pediatric population labi na karon wala gyud ta’y choice but to have face-to-face classes (Let’s focus on increasing the number of vaccinees in our pediatric population especially now that we have no choice but to have the face-to-face classes),” Schlosser said.
She reiterated the need for children attending face-to-face classes to get vaccinated to protect them from contracting severe to critical types of COVID-19.
She also reminded parents, grandparents, and guardians to remind their children to always wear face masks while attending their classes, except when eating or drinking, to protect them from COVID-19 and possibly bringing the infection back to their homes, which could put vulnerable family members at risk.
Schlosser said that since social distancing has been lifted and face mask is now optional for indoors and outdoors, except in medical and health facilities where it is mandatory, children will be more susceptible to contracting the virus and acquiring severe or critical COVID-19 symptoms if they don’t make it a habit to wear a face mask and get themselves vaccinated. CIO
