Kids from ages 5 to 11 are not required to be vaccinated. Are they not included in the face-to-face classes?

The Department of Education is encouraging schools to conduct limited face-to-face classes not only in colleges and high schools but also in elementary and kindergarten. According to Education Secretary Leonor Briones, learners who want to participate in face-to-face classes are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The statements are sometimes ambiguous because the kids’ vaccinations are not required but encouraged to participate in the face-to-face classes. IATF encourages parents to let their kids be vaccinated for protection during face-to-face classes. If the parents did not allow their kids to be vaccinated, the kids would have had the possibility of being infected with the variant of COVID-19 since we know that COVID-19 is still present. So, what can parents do to protect their kids from this virus? And what contingency plan did the school or the Department of Education put in place to protect the learners while they were at school? The Department of Education should plan meticulously. Despite the fact that children’s immune systems are powerful even without immunizations, there is no guarantee that they will not become infected with the virus.

Limiting the number of children in the classroom does not guarantee that they will not become infected with the virus, as many children from low-income homes arrive at school without having eaten or taking vitamins. DepEd or the RHU should assist in the provision of vitamins to children in order to strengthen their immune systems. The school should then educate parents on the importance of allowing their children to eat breakfast before sending them to school. Children’s meals and vitamins are important in protecting them against COVID-19 on a daily basis while at school. The school should work with the barangay to determine which children require assistance and submit a report to the LGU, RHU, and the Department of Education for immediate action and to ensure the kids’ safety.

COVID-19 vaccination is necessary for all teaching and non-teaching professionals who will be engaged in face-to-face classes. Unvaccinated personnel who must report to schools must do a quick test or swab test and submit the results before entering the school grounds. Students are already protected from virus infection since teachers who do not have immunizations are not permitted to teach. When it comes to security, teachers and some pupils have been vaccinated, so the students who have not been vaccinated are the most vulnerable. Thus, parents should be aware that children who have not had immunizations are in danger. So, shall we include children who have not received vaccines? It will be up to the parents to decide whether they want to allow their children to get vaccinated or send them to school unvaccinated. Kids’ immune systems are not always active; sometimes they will turn low or weak.