DOH: “Even as proof of vaccination is no longer needed, vaccination and boosters for all eligible individuals is still strongly recommended.”
DOH — The Department of Health recently spoke on the updated COVID-19 guidelines of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for full face-to-face classes in colleges and universities.
The DOH said that CHED consulted the health department and its experts on allowing students and personnel in higher education institutions (HEIs) to participate in in-person classes regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
In a statement, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the benefits of face-to-face and in-person schooling outweigh the risk of coronavirus infections.
“Our COVID-19 response is dynamic, and always follows the latest scientific recommendations available,” Vergeire said. “Even as proof of vaccination is no longer needed, vaccination and boosters for all eligible individuals is still strongly recommended. Let us keep the wall of immunity strong.“
READ ALSO: CHED Says Unvaxxed College Students, Teachers May Attend In-Person Classes
The statement came after the Commission on Higher Education announced on Monday that CHED lifted the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for students and personnel attending face-to-face classes in HEIs.
At that time, CHED chairperson Prospero de Vera III announced in a press conference that the guidelines released last November 2021, which mandated that only fully vaccinated students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel in HEIs may participate in limited face-to-face classes, have been revised.
As such, students and personnel in HEIs are allowed to participate in-person classes regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.
CHED reported that around 77% (3.1 million) of college students have been either partially or fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease, while 90% (260,661) of HEI personnel received partial or full COVID-19 vaccination.
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