Entering the campus during the pandemic has been a new experience for students and teachers. A safe pass is required to set foot on the school’s premises as it aids the contact tracing COVID-19 response of the country. Vaccination, although not entirely mandatory, has been proven useful in quelling the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus.

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According to experts, having a complete dose of vaccine shot lessens the vulnerability of a person to suffer from severe sickness due to COVID-19 and it helps our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness. This implies that a vaccine could be our shield against the unseen enemy.

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As of Feb. 22, DepEd said that there are 6,145 public schools nationwide that have been deemed ready to hold face-to-face classes based on the criteria set by DepEd and the Department of Health (DOH). Briones said that these schools have been assessed and evaluated using the Schools Safety Assessment Tool (SSAT).

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But we can still hear about parents who are not in favor in allowing their children to participate and the said pilot-run. Reasons vary in this matter. And one is the unassured safety the moment you leave the four corners of your home. But this issue might subside when we get ourselves the safe pass.

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As of the current, the government is exerting everything that it can to fight COVID-19, and it's our duty to play our part as well and get vaccinated. Self-protection still means a slow move to protect the entire community — the moment everyone is vaccinated. A lot may seem to be excited, but it is still the best option to maintain and follow protocols, for discipline is and will always be the safest and most-effective way to eliminate the virus.

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And now that the gates are wide open and face-to-face classes are slowly recurring, one thing is certain: vaccination is the safe pass to a better new normal.