With the uptick of COVID-19 cases in the country, UPLB held a booster vaccination drive for its constituents on May 8 at the University Health Service (UHS).
After the Department of Health released the guidelines on the second booster vaccination for the public last April, UPLB immediately organized the vaccination drive in partnership with the Municipal Health Office of Los Baños.
A total of 377 UPLB students and personnel who have not completed either their first or second booster doses were vaccinated with monovalent Pfizer.
UHS advised that in the meantime, individuals who wish to have the third booster shall wait for the bivalent vaccine as per guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on appropriate booster doses.
The UPLB Online Health Monitoring System (OHMS) Committee reported a slight increase in the number of COVID-19 infections among UPLB constituents with a total of 43 active cases as of May 7. The figure last April was 26.
With this, the University reiterated its protocols to maintain health and safety on campus, as per the Office of the Chancellor Memo No. 035 Series of 2022. Among the guidelines to be followed are declaring the health status through the UPLB Online Health Monitoring System (UPLB OHMS) and the wearing of facemasks in enclosed spaces such as classrooms.
The UPLB Vaccination Program and UPLB OHMS are part of the University’s Safety, Health, and Intracommunity Engagements for Life-Saving Defense (UPLB SHIELD) program initiated by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs.
(This article, written by Roi Mojado, was first published on the UP Los Baños Website on 11 May 2023)