DOH launches school-based vaccination program on October 7

LESSON OF THE DAY A teacher at General Roxas Elementary School in Quezon City prepares her students for the
The day's lesson in this photo taken in February 2024. President Bongbong Marcos said that with the new system, no teacher will retire as Teacher 1. INQUIRER File Photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) will launch a nationwide school-based vaccination program on October 7, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Tuesday.

In a palace briefing, Herbosa said the Bakuna Eskwela programme would pave the way for the vaccination of children in grades one, four and seven against HPV, measles, rubella, tetanus and diphtheria.

“We will do the launch on October 7 and every Friday in October, then we can definitely do this from the DepEd (Department of Education) school,” he said.

(The rollout will be on October 7, but during October, children who wish to be vaccinated can get vaccinated every Friday in all DepEd schools.)

When asked why the Ministry of Health chose children in grades one, four and seven for vaccination, Herbosa explained that this was for children who may have missed vaccinations, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Pupils in the fourth and seventh grades will be vaccinated specifically against HPV.

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“Grade 7 is HPV before they become sexually active.” [vaccine] Kasi must be administered before the children become sexually active and at grade 4,” explained Herbosa.

(Because the HPV vaccine must be administered before sexual activity, we selected fourth- and seventh-grade students.)

Herbosa said that while the vaccination program would be introduced in public schools, students from private schools would also be welcome.

“If there are children of that age, I will make sure that the program does not reject any child. Kahit nandoon sila sa near a private school, babakunahan din natin … I will coordinate with them [Education Secretary Sonny] Angara about it,” he said.

(If there are children of that age, I will make sure that the program does not turn away any child, even if they go to a private school nearby. Even if they go to the private school nearby, we will vaccinate them… I will coordinate this with Education Minister Sonny Angara.)

However, Herbosa stressed that vaccination is not mandatory and that students still need parental consent.

“The usual process may result in parents refusing, their health workers will call them at the first interview or ask the parents to convince them and then we try to convince them,” he added.

(In the case of refusal, our usual approach is that our health staff visits the parents to interview them or ask them why they do not want to have their child vaccinated. Then we try to persuade them.)

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