DoH, DepEd launch vaccine campaign for schoolchildren

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health and the Department of Education on Monday launched the Bakuna Eskwela campaign for the vaccination of school-age children to protect them from several diseases.

The campaign targets the vaccination of at least 3.8 million public school students in Grades 1 and 7 against measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria.

It also aims to vaccinate 973,930 female public school students in Grade 4 against the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer.

The campaign has a budget of P853 million and «will be implemented across public schools nationwide until November 2024,» the two agencies said.