'Bakuna Eskwela' revived

The Department of Education (DepEd), in partnership with the Department of Health (DoH), on Monday launched the revival of the school-based immunization program, dubbed Bakuna Eskwela, to protect students from life-threatening vaccine-preventable diseases.

The kickoff event of Bakuna Eskwela was held at the Dr. Alejandro Albert Elementary School in Manila.

The Bakuna Eskwela campaign will be rolled out in selected public schools across various provinces this October to November 2024, after a four-year suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Focusing on measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria and human papillomavirus vaccinations, the effort marks a significant shift as the program moves back from community-based immunizations to its original school-based setup, following the resumption of in-person classes.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara thanked President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for his support of the school-based vaccination program.

“Thank you to the President (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) for his support for this program. As Secretary Ted Herbosa mentioned the HPV virus costs parents around P4,000, and it was decided to make this free thanks to the persuasion of [Health] Secretary Ted Herbosa and no less than our President,” Angara said.

With a total budget allocation of P853 million, Bakuna Eskwela aims to immunize at least 3.8 million public school students enrolled in Grades 1 and 7 with MR and Td vaccines, and another 973,930 female Grade 4 students in selected public schools for the HPV vaccine that protects against cervical cancer.