Grade 4 student Elena Jane had mixed emotions before receiving her first Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine dose on Tuesday at Sinabuagan Integrated School, about16 kilometers from Valencia City’s economic center.
The immunization marked the launch of the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Education (DepEd) Bakuna Eskwela school-based program for October.
During the rollout, Grade 1 and 7 students also received Measles-Rubella (MR) and Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) shots with parental consent.
Rural health midwife Jonalyn Jayme Malunes, alongside the Valencia City Health Office team, targeted 29 first-time Grade 4 female learners for the HPV vaccine, including 10-year-old Grade 5 student Emily Grace, following previous supply shortages. The team is also administering delayed second doses to 32 young learners.
Malunes noted that while both learners had parental consent, some hesitation remains due to negative social media rumors regarding vaccine side effects.
Nationwide, the Department of Education is targeting approximately 4.6 million learners for the School Year 2026-2027 immunization campaign.