More vaccines are now available in Northern Luzon, thanks to ongoing government efforts to combat COVID-19.
Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon Secretary Raul Lambino expressed his thanks to President Duterte as well as Sen. Bong Go and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Against COVID-19 for providing Northern Luzon provinces with more COViD-19 vaccine doses.
“The tremendous increase in vaccine doses now being rolled out and administered in Northern Luzon shows the President’s concern for the welfare, safety, and health of the Ilocanos, Pangasinenses, Cagayanons, Igorots and all the people in the Ilocos, Cagayan and Cordillera regions,” said Lambino.
He also cited the roles of Sec. Carlito Galvez as vaccine czar and Sec. Francisco Duque as head of the Department of Health for their “splendid efforts in boosting the country’s vaccination program.”
Thousands of lives are being saved and protected through more supplies of vaccines that are being administered in the nationwide rollout, Lambino said.
He said the numerous “Malasakit” health coordinating centers established nationwide by Sen. Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and is a close ally of the President, has provided the all-important financial support to the people, especially rural folk hit hard by the pandemic.
The vaccination rollout is now being brought to the barangays closer to the people by local government officials through their respective health units, he added.
“The government’s vaccination program is efficient, considering the continued decline in the number of Covid-19 cases this past few weeks. The contact tracing system is also effective in helping curb the spread of the infection,” said Lambino, referring to the contact tracing activity and granular lockdowns imposed recently by the IATF.
With vaccine doses this month expected to hit 100 million, both from government procurement and through the COVAX Facility of the World Health Organization, Lambino echoed the optimism of health officials that herd immunity of 70 percent of the population would be achieved by the end of the year.