THE COMMISSION on Higher Education is preparing guidelines on the tapping of medical students as vaccinators to speed up the government’s inoculation program against Covid19.

CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III on Tuesday said that universities and colleges offering health-related programs allowed their students to be part of the government’s vaccination program.

“We are looking into the possibility in harnessing the 4th year and 5th year students, and those that have graduated and have not passed the licensure test as an additional vaccinator,” De Vera said.

“So iyan, positive naman ang response ng mga eskwelahan. We are crafting the guidelines on how it will work. Kasi kailangang-kailangan talaga natin ng dagdag na tulong para sa pagbabakuna habang dumadami ang dumadating na bakuna sa atin,” he added.

Vince Dizon, National Task Force against Covid19 deputy chief implementer, earlier said that medical students will be mainly deployed in areas where Covid19 infections are high.

Dizon noted that the plan will be thoroughly discussed with CHED and educational institutions.

“What we’re doing is we will increase personnel. In fact, we will have a meeting in the next few days with CHED Chairman De Vera to discuss the possibility of deploying medical students to serve as vaccinators,” he said.

Madelene Grace Sosa, president of the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges, Inc., also requested medical school deans and directors “to encourage and motivate” students to help in vaccinating Filipinos.