DEPED Issues New Order Strengthening COVID-19 Guidance for Education Personnel and Learners. Strictly No Discrimination on Basis of Vaccination Status Permitted!

Vaccination status of all must be disclosed and will be used for targeted initiatives to promote vaccination and to address hesitancy. Wall of Immunity Philosophy, and in-school vaccination provided!

DEPED Order 039 S.2022 has been issued on 19th September 2022.

It provides updated guidance on teaching and non-teaching and learners for C19 vaccination and testing, minimum health standards, promotion of covid-19 vaccination, and handling of personnel records.

With regards to health and safety protocols there is some good news. The Order emphasizes that there is to be strictly no discrimination regardless of vaccination status.

Face to face classes for all personnel and students regardless of vaccination status.

No longer any requirement for regular testing, and the schools are not responsible for covid-19 status of any person, as it should be!

However, concerningly, the schools are asked to track vaccination status, to provide vaccination in schools, and to push vaccination for students and their families. This includes implementation of mobile vaccinations for those who sign a written consent to be vaccinated. Promotional materials are provided!

How does this tally with the strict non-discrimination? They will take all efforts to push vaccination and boosters and to monitor and address hesitancy for all personnel and students.

They will bring in parents and PTA to participate in emphaisizing the benefits of vaccination to increase the WALL OF IMMUNITY for learners and community. “Community ownership and involvement” (that is part of WHO strategies to reduce hesitancy and increase uptake). Peer pressure being bought into play!

Why is the Philippines DOH still pushing the long-disproven wall of immunity theory? It is simply not possible to have immunity with a leaky product that cannot and doesn’t prevent infection or transmission!

Collection of staff and learners vaccination data is required and will be provided to SHN personnel to “ensure alignment of initiative to promote vaccination and address hesitancy”.

How is this legal? This goes against Philippines medical data privacy laws! We won’t force you to be vaccinated, but we will take your data and use it in ways we didn’t tell you we would use it, and we will target you in promotion and hesitancy prevention activities! This is TAGGING the unvaccinated for targeted promotional activities!! How is this not discrimination?

Minimum health standards are still required regardless of vaccination status.

These include ventilation, handwashing, social distancing, track and trace, etc. Masking is still mandatory, indoors, but voluntary outdoors and in open spaces.

DEPED is supposed to be managing and providing education. Why is DEPED Involved in Vaccination? Shouldn’t their concern be with Education? Leave the vaccination decisions and promotion between students and their parents and their medical providers? Focus on teaching their students how to read!