The Department of Education called on its personnel who are either elderly or have comorbidities to enlist for vaccination with their local government units.

The DepEd Task Force Covid19 Department said that school health staff, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities can register for vaccination ahead of the roll out for the A4 priority category.

“We would like to encourage all of our personnel to coordinate with their local government units so they can be vaccinated against Covid19. This will play a huge role in our bid for our learners’ return to school,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.

The department hopes to start vaccinating the rest of its teaching and non-teaching personnel by June 2021 after the IATF approved the appeal of Briones to adjust the vaccine prioritization for teaching and non-teaching personnel from category B1 to A4.

A4 group is next in line in the government vaccination priority list, after A1 (medical frontliners), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (with comorbidities).

“Napakalaking jump nito para sa mga teachers, magandang-magandang balita para sa lahat. Matagal na namin itong kinakausap at kinakampanya para maisama ang teachers sa mauna na mababakunahan sa A-list at galing sa B,” Briones said.

She also urged DepEd personnel to learn about the vaccine and the vaccination program “and to make an informed choice about the matter.”

The DepEd aims to establish its own vaccination database.