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Vaccination not required for children attending in-person classes: DepEd chief

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Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A child receives his first COVID-19 vaccine dose during a vaccination drive at the New Frontier Theater, Araneta City in Quezon City on February 20, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/03/02/20220220-covid19-children-vaccination-md-9244.jpg"/><figcaption>A child receives his first COVID-19 vaccine dose during a vaccination drive at the New Frontier Theater, Araneta City in Quezon City on February 20, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) is not requiring students attending in-person classes to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Secretary Leonor Briones said Wednesday.Briones said her agency could not make vaccination mandatory because parents are the ones who decide if their children would get inoculated against the respiratory illness.&quot;Hindi required [ang vaccination for in-person classes]. It is voluntary kasi ang parents ang magde-decide niyan. But of course, we would encourage [vaccination],&quot; Briones said at the Laging Handa public briefing.(Vaccination is not required for in-person classes. It is voluntary because the ones that would decide that are the parents. But of course, we would encourage vaccination.)Briones noted children also have a stronger immunity against COVID-19.Of the more than 15,000 students that joined the pilot phase of in-person classes last November to December, no one tested positive for the virus, she said.But Briones reiterated that vaccination is mandatory for teaching and nonteaching personnel attending in-person classes.An unvaccinated personnel can continue working from their home or must submit a COVID-19 test before reporting to the workplace, she said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/20/22/vax-requirement-for-in-person-classes-not-discriminatory-deped">No discrimination in vaccine requirement for in-person classes —DepEd</a></li></ul>In higher education, COVID-19 vaccination is required for students and school personnel attending in-person classes.As of March 1, 4,315 schools nationwide have started holding in-person classes, of which 76 are private schools, according to the DepEd.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/02/22/deped-allows-start-of-expanded-in-person-classes">DepEd starts &#x27;progressive expansion&#x27; of in-person classes</a></li></ul>&quot;We are anticipating na lalong dadami ang mga schools na sasali dahil pagpasok ng [National Capital Region], malaking bulto ng mga eksuwlehan &#x27;yan,&quot; said Briones, referring to the capital region that recently eased into the least restrictive COVID-19 alert level.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/photo/03/01/22/more-people-outdoors-under-alert-level-1">Alert Level 1 in NCR sees more people outdoors</a></li></ul>(We are anticipating that the number of schools holding in-person classes will increase, especially with the inclusion of the National Capital Region. That&#x27;s a lot of schools there.)The DepEd is currently undertaking a &quot;progressive expansion&quot; of in-person classes, under which schools can hold limited face-to-face instruction as long as they comply with the agency&#x27;s requirements, such as securing permission from the local government units and students&#x27; parents.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/03/22/alamin-guidelines-sa-pagpapalawig-ng-face-to-face-classes">ALAMIN: Paunang guidelines sa pagpapalawig ng face-to-face classes</a></li></ul>Briones stressed that schools would continue to implement remote learning to complement in-person classes.

The DepEd is not requiring students attending in-person classes to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Secretary Leonor Briones said Wednesday.

Vaccination not required for children attending in-person classes: DepEd chief

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Vaccination not required for children attending in-person classes: DepEd chief

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 02, 2022 12:59 PM PHT

|

Updated March 02, 2022 02:38 PM PHT

Read More:

education

basic education

Department of Education

Covid-19

vaccination

vaccine requirement

students

coronavirus

Leonor Briones

in-person classes

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