ビサヤ諸島のワクチン接種センターは、対面授業を行う初等教育の講師とその家族に対して、早くワクチン接種をするよう訴えかけており、
学校内の公衆衛生を保つためにも必須であると、センター長は述べています。
また、健康保健省（DOH）からは、物理的な対面授業は、精神的・感情的・社会意義的にも必要不可欠であると声明を出しています。
しかしながらメトロセブのほとんどの教師たちは、すでにワクチン接種待ちの状態になっているため、順調にすすめば対面授業の再開も間もなく開始されると予測されています。
その一方、宗教的な問題からワクチン接種を拒む人たちもいるため、この課題をどう乗り越えるかも大切になりそうです。
“Teachers in Central Visayas urged to get COVID-19 vax”
CEBU, Philippines — The Visayas COVID-19 Vaccination Center (VVOC) is urging all teachers to have themselves vaccinated as limited face-to-face classes for primary education will soon resume.
“We urged our teachers, our partners in the education to please have yourselves vaccinated,” VVOC spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said in yesterday’s briefing.
She said implementing the minimum public health standards in schools is not enough.
Loreche, also the Department of Health (DOH)-7 chief pathologist, said the resumption of physical classes is beneficial to the student’s mental, emotional and social well-being.
Please get yourselves vaccinated especially adults to confer direct immunity to our children,” she said.
Children below 17 years old are not yet eligible for vaccination.
Department of Education (DepEd)-7 Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said around 30 percent of the 79,000 teachers in Central Visayas are fully vaccinated.
“In Metro Cebu, many teachers are fully vaccinated whilst some already registered and just waiting for their schedules”, he said.
He, however, said some teachers have refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19 due to their “faith and religion”.
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the resumption of in-person classes in areas with low numbers of COVID-19 infections.