TWENTY other higher education institutions have expressed willingness to convert their facilities into Covid19 vaccination sites, the Commission on Higher Education said.

Seventeen colleges and universities, mostly in National Capital Region, earlier agreed to have their facilities used as vaccination sites.

CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera said that the country will need more vaccination centers as the government ramps up its inoculation program.

“Our target is to finalize the discussions within the month of April because more vaccines will arrive in May,” he said.

The HEIs which offered their facilities as vaccination centers are the Our Lady of Fatima University-Valenzuela, OLFU-Quezon City, OLFU-San Fernando, Pampanga, Manila Central University, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta-Las Piñas Campus, De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Baguio, Benguet State University, St. Louis University, University of Cebu, Central Philippine University, West Visayas State University, University of Perpetual Help-Dr. Jose G. Tamayo Medical University, Cotabato Medical Foundation, Notre Dame Kidapawan College and North Valley College Foundation.

De Vera said that these HEIs have spacious gymnasiums and health personnel who can assist in the vaccination drive if necessary.

“As we move from A1 to A4 and then to B1, the number of people that we need to vaccinate are going to be bigger in number especially when we go to indigents and essential workers. Our existing vaccination centers under the local government should expand to cover these groups and HEI facilities can be tapped,” he said.

De Vera added that HEIs and their respective local government units will discuss arrangements.

“Many of these HEIs have been approved to conduct limited face-to-face classes in their medical and allied health programs as approved by the President last January 2021. These HEIs have already been inspected by the CHED, the local Inter-Agency Task Force and LGUs,” he said.

“We are sure that the proper health protocols, retrofitting of facilities, and the requirements for safety are already being implemented by these universities,” he added.