DepEd targets 4.6M learners in 2026 vaccine drive

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education (DepEd) is preparing to vaccinate about 4.6 million learners under its school-based immunization program for School Year 2026-2027, covering measles-rubella, tetanus-diphtheria, and human papillomavirus (HPV).

According to Jhpiego Philippines, a global health nonprofit affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, the Bakuna Eskwela program aims to vaccinate about 3.6 million Grade 1 and Grade 7 learners against measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria, and nearly 1 million Grade 4 girls against HPV.

READ: Bukidnon roll-out: DOH, DepEd launch school-based immunization

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DepEd’s Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Health Division (BLSS-SHD) recently held a two-day hybrid planning workshop in Quezon City with physicians, nurses and dentists from selected regional and school division offices ahead of the campaign.

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The planned rollout covers Grade 1 learners aged 6 to 7 and Grade 7 boys and girls aged 12 to 13 for measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria vaccination, as well as Grade 4 girls aged 9 to 10 for HPV vaccination.

DepEd has been implementing school-based immunization with the Department of Health (DOH) since 2017 to protect school-age children and adolescents against vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria.

HPV vaccination is intended to protect preadolescent girls from HPV infection and reduce their future risk of cervical cancer.

Vaccination gaps

During the workshop, health personnel reviewed measles-rubella, tetanus-diphtheria and HPV vaccination coverage and school participation across provincial, component city, highly urbanized city and independent component city schools division offices.

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Jhpiego Philippines said the workshop participants also examined behavioral and social factors affecting routine and HPV vaccination and worked on short-, medium- and long-term plans to address operational and logistical bottlenecks, administrative barriers, misinformation, access to immunization services, hard-to-reach and underserved areas, and parental support and confidence in vaccines.

Participants also discussed lessons from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded HPV Vaccination Acceleration Program Partners Initiative (HAPPI) and findings from behavioral and social drivers surveys and interviews on HPV vaccination supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Enhancing Global Health Security project and implemented by Jhpiego Philippines.

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READ: Misinformation stokes fears, slows E. Visayas measles-rubella drive

Dr. Lilibeth Gonzales, officer-in-charge-chief and supervising health program officer of the DepEd School Health Division, said the workshop was intended to turn the data into concrete measures at the regional, division and school levels.

“The success of school-based immunization depends on how well we translate data and plans into coordinated action at the regional, division and school levels. This workshop allows us to identify gaps early, strengthen coordination with our health partners and develop practical strategies to ensure that more learners can access the vaccines they need,” Gonzales said.

Meanwhile, Jhpiego Philippines Country Program Manager Dr. Ingrid Magnata said vaccination efforts also require stronger systems and coordination among education, health and communities.

“Protecting children and adolescents through vaccination requires more than delivering vaccines. It requires strong systems, informed communities and coordinated action across sectors. By bringing together data, behavioral insights and the experience of education and health teams, we can develop approaches that are more responsive to the realities faced by learners, parents and schools,” Magnata said.

Dr. Anthony Calibo, immunization technical adviser of Jhpiego Philippines, also said combining vaccination data with behavioral and operational information could help identify practical responses to gaps.

“The value of this planning process is in helping teams move from simply knowing their coverage numbers to understanding what those numbers mean and what can be done about them,” Calibo said.

“By combining vaccination data with behavioral insights and operational experience, regions and divisions can identify practical solutions to improve access, participation and vaccine confidence,” he added.

The workshop ended with participating DepEd regional and schools division offices reaffirming their commitment to strengthen schools as healthy settings and platforms for preventive health services, consistent with the principles of the Universal Health Care Law.

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The 2026 preparations build on the continuing DepEd-DOH effort to improve school-based vaccination and reach eligible learners with essential vaccines. Current DepEd guidance covers measles-rubella and tetanus-diphtheria vaccination for Grade 1 and Grade 7 students and HPV vaccination for Grade 4 female students. /mcm