Mayor Michael Rama led the grand launching of the “Balik Eskwela Pabakuna Ta Extrabonanza” at the Tisa II Elementary School in Barangay Tisa Monday, Nov. 7, 2022.
Based on the data presented, there are 217,198 enrolled students across all public schools in the city but only 103,675 students have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The special vaccination program will cater to children in the six to 17 years old age bracket.
To encourage the children to get vaccinated, the City Government in partnership with private sponsors will give away big prizes during the grand raffle promo in February 2023.
The prizes include two condominium units, one car, eight motorcycles, 15 laptops, 10 refrigerators and 20 tablet computers.
To protect the privacy of the children, the raffle will be participated in by their parents, Rama said.
According to Rama, there is a need to “complete the cycle” by making sure that all citizens, including the students are vaccinated against the virus.
“We have to complete the cycle. We are already declaring freedom, shared responsibility… Nangabli na ta sa skwelahan. Kinahanglan atoang tiwason tanan kini,” said Rama. (We’ve reopened the schools. We have to finish all this.)
After the grand launching on Monday, the Cebu City Health Department (CHD) and local school board will visit and conduct the vaccination drive in the other public schools in the city.
There are 127 public schools in the city.
Children willing
In a separate interview, CHD head Dr. Daisy Villa encouraged the parents of unvaccinated students to have their children protected against the Covid-19 virus through vaccines.
Villa said there are children who want to get vaccinated but cannot do so since their parents are still hesitant about the vaccines for fear of the vaccines’ effects on their children.
“Kung imong tan-awon, ang mga bata kay ganahan magpa bakuna, pero ang ilang ginikanan maoy dili pa mo sugot kay because nangahadlok kung unsa man gani ang dangatan sa ilahang mga anak,” said Villa.
Villa assured parents that there are medical personnel who will be deployed in the different vaccination sites to make sure that proper health screening will be done before the actual vaccination.
Requirements
The requirements for the pediatric vaccination like birth certificates are no longer required to be presented as long as the parent is there to attest to the identity of their children.
“Tanang ginikanan dili maka kuha ana (birth certificate). Hasol kaayo, unya mogasto pa. Karon kahibaw gyud ta nga menos kaayo ang atoang pangwarta… atoa pa gyud lisod-lisoron pakuha ana,” said Villa.
(All parents cannot get the birth certificate. That’s a big hassle and it costs too. We know livelihoods have been hit, so we don’t want to make things difficult for them by requiring them to get that.)
Department of Education Order 39, s. of 2022 allows teachers and learners who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend in-person classes, raising the risks for the unvaccinated in contracting Covid-19.