The third leg of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive will focus on far-flung and remote areas of the country, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday said the BARMM had the lowest vaccination turnout among all regions at 30 percent.
The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have been tapped to assist local government units in bringing vaccine doses to these areas, he said.
In these areas, he added, people should be allowed to walk in and get vaccinated and not all of them would have online access to register for jabs.
Año said they are also working it out to ensure that the vaccination matches the schedule of the target population as it usually complicates their time for work.
“Remote areas in provinces really need to be focused on because most of them live in mountain ranges and slopes. So, we need to spread the word, bring the vaccination sites closer to them,” he said in Filipino.
“We need to find these people to make sure that they are really safe because whatever the variant, when the virus arrives, the seniors and those who have comorbidities are vulnerable. They need not only the primary doses, but also boosters,” he added.
The third Bayanihan Bakunahan was extended until Feb. 18 from the initial schedule of Feb. 10 to 11.
As of Feb.13, a total of 60,013,407 individuals have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country while 60,674,767 have had their first dose.
A total of 8,011,994 have also received booster doses.
The government is eyeing to fully vaccinate 90 million Filipinos, including children aged zero to four by the end of June 2022.
COVID-19 vaccination for children zero to four has yet to begin in the Philippines, while inoculation for 12 to 17 years old and 5 to 11 started in November and February, respectively.
Meanwhile, the chief of the country’s Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) said a fourth vaccine booster shot may be administered to the immunocompromised.
VEP chief Dr. Nina Gloriani, in an interview on radio dzBB interview, said that since the immunocompromised receive three primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, their fourth dose may serve as their booster shot.
Currently, the Department of Health (DOH) is administering third doses to senior citizens and immunocompromised, while booster shots are given to those who have finished the three to six-month requirement after receiving their second dose.
Gloriani said that the government has not discussed plans regarding the administration of a second booster shot as there is not enough data yet regarding that.
Earlier, infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante also said it was important that the public receive just one COVID-19 booster shot after their primary vaccine series as there was yet no data to prove that boosters have to be administered every three to six months.
Also, over the weekend, the director of the Department of Health Calabarzon, Ariel Valencia, emphasized the importance of vaccinating children as limited face-to-face classes loomed.
“The activity we are doing for our children is very important because we are preparing their return to the new normal when they return to school,” Valencia said.
DOH Calabarzon and the City Government of Dasmariñas inoculated a total of 849 children during the kickoff of vaccination of 5-11 years old Ugnayang La Salle (ULS), Dasmariñas Cavite on Feb. 12.
The DOH official renewed his call to the public to get their jabs and to the parents to bring their children to vaccination sites to protect
them against COVID-19.