The Department of Health has urged local government units to establish walk-in lanes as well as adopt “quick substitution lists” at COVID-19 inoculation sites to hasten the vaccination rollout.
“If this can help, we can do it (as long as) the process is organized – walk-ins will have a separate line from those who are scheduled to get the jab,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday.
“There should also be a target number as to how many walk-ins are allowed to avoid overcrowding in vaccination sites,” she added.
Vergeire said there should also be “quick substitution lists” to ensure that vaccines on hand will be administered even if those who are scheduled to get the jab do not show up.
“If those who are on the masterlist do not show up, then you need to have people who can get inoculated instead so the doses that have been opened for that certain day will not go to waste. Those in the quick substitution list must come from the nearest barangay so they can easily come to the vaccination site with just one call,” she added.
The government is hoping to inoculate at least 50 to 70 million Filipinos within the year to achieve herd immunity against the disease that has infected more than 1.17 million people in the country.
As of May 18, the government has already administered 3.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Some 2.5 million Filipinos already received their first dose, while close to 800,000 have been fully vaccinated.
On Friday, the country logged 6,258 new COVID-19 cases and 141 fatalities, bringin the death toll to 19,763.
The Department of Health also reported 2,586 patients who have recovered.
In other developments:
• The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the inclusion of poll workers in the A4 or frontline workers priority group for the COVID-19 vaccination. Liquefied petroleum gas dealers, retailers and attendants, on the other hand, are now part of the A4.2 group.
• The DOH reminded local government units to ensure that health workers, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities are prioritized for vaccination for AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs as not doing so may jeopardize future supplies from the COVAX Facility. “The AstraZeneca and Pfizer doses were provided by COVAX under specific conditions,” Vergeire said.
• Deputy Speaker Rep. Mikee Romero urged the government to open 24/7 vaccination centers to achieve herd immunity more quickly. “I believe longer hours of vaccine center operations would address the problem of overcrowding and help guarantee the observance of health and security protocols,” he said. Romero said nursing graduates may be tapped to man the 24/7 vaccination sites.
• Instead of adopting a “brand agnostic” policy for COVID-19 vaccinations, the government should instead educate Filipinos on the importance of getting inoculated, Senator Joel Villanueva said. “Vaccine agnosticism will not work without vaccine advocacy. We have to educate before we inoculate, and sadly, much still needs to be done in this area,” the senator added.
• Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Arlene Brosas said not naming the available jabs will only worsen vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos. “Vaccine hesitancy won't be solved by giving people more reasons to be hesitant. This kind of lousy policy-making denies the people their right to know,” Brosas said.