The Vaccination Cluster of the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force started the school-based vaccination among the pediatric age group five to 11 years old at San Roque Elementary School on May 27, 2022.
Davao City COVID-19 Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser bared this during the COVID-19 Alert program of the 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
She said that through the partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Vaccination Cluster is upbeat about seeing an increase in the turnout of vaccinees in the five to 11 population age group.
“Our Vaccination Cluster team had a meeting with DepEd on Tuesday and they came up with a plan for master listing students for both public and private schools. With the help of DepEd, makakuha ta’g listahan from different schools (With DEPED’s help, we can get a list from different schools). We will be targeting the five to 11 and 12 to 17 as well as their mothers and their family members. We’re bringing the vaccination rollout and activity right in their schools,” she said.
They also target educators, teaching and non-teaching personnel, for booster shots as they are the ones the students will be in contact with once the full face-to-face classes start.
Family members of students who will also be around the school during the vaccination rollout activity will be encouraged to get vaccinated either for primary, missed, or booster doses.
As of May 27, 2022, Davao City recorded that at least 18,835 children five to 11, or 7.78 percent of the target 242,209 were vaccinated with the first doses. But of this number, only 6.38 percent or 15,465 received their second doses.
Dr. Schlosser reiterated her call, saying: “Parents, I’m literally begging you to protect your children. Dili pa tanang levels ang face-to-face classes pero eventually we’ll be doing face to face for the entire level. Ayaw paabuta nga dili protected inyong mga anak. Give your children a good fight if ever man ma infect because they will be protected against the severity of the disease through the vaccine (Not all levels are having face to face classes now but eventually we’ll be doing face to face for the entire level. Don’t delay protecting your children. Give your children a good fight if ever they get infected because they will be protected against the severity of the disease through the vaccine).”
The five to 11 age group, according to her, might become the source of a spike in the city’s COVID-19 cases because most of them are not yet vaccinated so they can carry the virus and spread it out.
She also said that the young population group is not as responsible as adults in diligently wearing face masks as they are not privy to the importance of protective masks. Without adult supervision, she said these kids would most likely take off the masks and touch anything without observing proper hygiene. CIO