With the possibility of reverting to in-person classes in August, the Visayas Vaccination Operation Center (VVOC) on Monday said teachers and parents should encourage school children to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) chief pathologist and VVOC spokesperson, hinted at more activities to entice schoolchildren to go to the vaccination sites to get their vaccine.

Although DOH-7 data showed an increase in the number of vaccinated pediatric population, she said health authorities want more push for the children and teenagers aged 11-17 to have themselves inoculated.

“For the 11 to 17, yes, there has to be more information dissemination. More so with the (upcoming) face-to-face classes, it’s vital that parents and students alike including the teachers need to help in encouraging these age groups to get vaccinated,” Loreche said in a message to the media.

Due to the low alert level in the city with people having the tendency to relax their guard against Covid-19, she said there is a need to push for an awareness campaign, especially for school children below 12 years old.

She also cited the effectiveness of house-to-house inoculation in localities that bolstered their vaccination efforts.

While children aged 12 to 17 are getting themselves vaccinated, many of those who are below 12 years old are not showing up at the vaccination sites, according to DOH-7 records.

Data shows that of the 358,544 children in Metro Cebu aged 5 to 11, only 11 percent or 42,709 have been fully vaccinated.

On the other hand, over 62 percent of the 338,840 children and teenagers in Metro Cebu aged 12 to 17 are now listed as fully inoculated. (PNA)