COVID-19 BOOSTER DRIVE. Commission on Higher Education Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III (center) witnesses the PinasLakas ceremonial booster vaccination for students of state and local universities and colleges in Negros Occidental at Bacolod City College Activity Center on Monday afternoon (Oct. 10, 2022). He said the booster shot is the "best investment that you can make." (PNA photo by Nanette L. Guadalquiver)
BACOLOD CITY – Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III has urged college students in Negros Occidental to avail of booster shots as the “best investment” to be protected against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Ahead of the CHED’s three-day national directorate meeting here that kicked off on Tuesday, De Vera witnessed the PinasLakas ceremonial booster vaccination for students of state and local universities and colleges as well as private tertiary institutions in separate events held at the Bacolod City College and University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos campuses here on Monday afternoon.
“I am asking everyone to please get your booster shots. It is the best investment that you can make not for yourselves, but for your family, for your friends and classmates and everyone around you,” he said.
De Vera, who tested positive for Covid-19 twice, said that being a senior citizen, he is living proof that vaccination works.
He pointed out that school-based vaccination is being conducted since it can be easily monitored because schools already have a list of students.
“The schools can report their vaccination (status) to the CHED every week. We can monitor the percentage going up,” he added.
De Vera added that for tertiary schools nationwide, close to 90 percent of the administrators and faculty members have already availed of the first two doses students while among students, 77 percent.
“That is because everyone helped to get vaccinated. That is why in November 2021, I issued a directive that all schools can already hold face-to-face classes. The level of confidence is increasing as more people get vaccinated,” he added.
He said that two months ago, the CHED had already allowed non-vaccinated students to go to school.
It is because with now a low percentage of non-vaccinated individuals, the at-risk population is already easier to manage, and the students’ age-group are the least to contract the virus, he noted.
“If we practice proper health protocols, if we get booster shots, if like before we are disciplined in the way we go around, it is much, much safer now for us to have face-to-face classes,” De Vera said. (PNA)
