As part of the preparation for the resumption of limited face-to-face classes, the students, faculty and staff of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) were vaccinated against Covid19.

The first dose of the vaccine were given to ASMPH clerks and interns on March 16 and the second dose on June 1.

Meanwhile, the vaccination of 267 Medicine students started on June 15. ASMPH announced that the second dose of the vaccine will be given to the students after 28 days.

“Medical students are our next frontliners,” Dr. Cenon Alfonso, dean of ASMPH, said.

“This is why it’s important to ensure that they are protected from Covid19. To be the best physicians they can be, they need to be equipped with the necessary lessons and competencies, and because of the nature of medicine as a discipline, we can only do this through face-to-face classes,” he added.

The administered vaccines came from the city government of Pasig. The vaccination drive was also in partnership with The Medical City Hospital Infection Control and Epidemiology Center.

In January, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Commission on Higher Education allowed ASMPH to conduct limited face-to-face classes for its medical clerks and interns.  However, ASMPH returned to online learning after a surge in infections in the country.

“Since ASMPH has received approval from IATF and CHED to resume limited face-to-face classes, being vaccinated will protect them, their immediate families, the school’s community members, and the larger community as well,” Alfonso said.

He added that the school adopted safety precautions to ensure the safety of the students.

“ASMPH is committed to the health and safety of our students and staff. We have made it a point to ensure that we have several layers of protection so that the possibility of transmission is minimized,” Alfonso said.