Some Filipinos online expressed hopes that other higher educational institutions would follow the University of Santo Tomas after it announced that its students can now get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The university’s official publication, The Varsitarian, reported that adult students, their family members, teachers, the support staff and members of the Thomasian community are eligible to receive the jab as long as they pre-register through Manila’s COVID-19 vaccine portal.
The eligibility also extends to students who are not residents of the city of Manila.
Those who want to avail of the COVID-19 jab must input UST as their home address in the portal.
The report added that the schedule of the inoculation will depend on the COVID-19 vaccines’ availability and stock.
UST in its Facebook page said that the university “is now one of the sites identified by the Manila City Government for the inoculation of citizens and Manila workers,” particularly the UST Practice Gym.
The initiative is led by the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery with its dean, Dra. Ma. Lourdes Domingo-Maglinao.
The university said that medical clerks of its Doctor of Medicine program will also render their services on-hand in the vaccination drive.
Following the announcement of students’ eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine, some Filipinos hoped that other schools would also take the initiative to protect their community members.
“SANAOL!” a Twitter user exclaimed in response to the report.
“Keep up naman FEU!” another online user wrote, referring to the Far Eastern University. Its main campus is also located in Manila.
A different Twitter user tagged the account of the University of the Philippines system.
“Cee Es Bee when,” commented another online user with a crying face emoticon. CSB refers to De La Salle-College of St. Benilde.
Other higher educational institutions have also taken the initiative to vaccinate their students against COVID-19.
Ateneo de Manila University launched its vaccination program last May and said that it has ordered 18,000 doses for its community.
Its order of priority are its employees, independent contractors such as researchers, guest lecturers and employees of affiliate units, university students and employees’ eligible dependents.
De La Salle University also opened its vaccination drive last month to senior high school, undergraduate, graduate and law students.
The Philippines has fully vaccinated 6,089,314 Filipinos as of July 25.
Meanwhile, 11,113,107 individuals have received their first doses.
The country has a population of 109 million as of 2020. The government aims to innoculate over 77 million Filipinos.
