IN PREPARATION  for the resumption of face-to-face classes, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday emphasized anew the urgency of vaccinating students, teachers, and school personnel against Covid19.

During the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 at the Malolos Bulacan Convention Center, Galvez said that inoculating members of the academic community will ensure their safety when schools reopen.

“Dapat bakunado kasi ang mga unvaccinated ang tinutuluyan ng mga variant. So, as a general rule, ang sabi po namin ni Secretary Liling (Briones) at ng IATF, as much as possible, kailangan talaga ‘yung mga papasok ng face-to-face ay ‘yung mga bakunado,” Galvez said.

“Ganoon din po ‘yung mga teacher at school personnel ay nire-require natin na at least 100 percent bakunado,” he added.

The official underscored the need for the government to impose a “strong mandate” on vaccination once most children have been inoculated and the country has a bigger supply of Covid19 jabs.

“Maybe in the near future, magkakaroon tayo ng strong mandate na babakunahan ‘yung mga bata. So ‘yun lang ginagawa natin na step by step kasi sa ngayon, konti pa lang ang nababakunahan and we cannot mandate them na talagang lahat bakunado,” he said.

“‘Pag nagkaroon na ng opening of classes, as much as possible, ‘yung pupunta lang sa face-to-face are all vaccinated. ‘Yung hindi vaccinated ibig sabihin doon sila sa online learning,” he added.

“‘Yung mga ayaw magpabakuna, ‘wag ninyo na isama ang mga bata dahil ang mga bata sila ang future Filipino generation that will carry on our task and mission,” Galvez said.

On Tuesday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones expressed her full support for the “Resbakuna Kids” program which is in line with the efforts of the department to expand in-person classes.

“We cannot move to new forms, to new ways of teaching unless our children are safe, unless they are healthy, unless they are also happy with the learning experience,” Briones said.