Health officials plan to tap the clinics of private companies as additional COVID-19 vaccination sites.
At present, the country has about 7,400 active vaccination sites, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said Monday.
“We plan to add more. We are also thinking of holding vaccinations at the clinics of big companies,” Cabotaje, who chairs the National Vaccination Operations Center, said in an online briefing.
About half of the country’s 109 million population have been fully vaccinated.
But some 2.5 million senior citizens and 220,000 people with comorbidity have not yet been inoculated, Cabotaje said.
The government last week launched the third run of a nationwide vaccination drive that aims to administer 5 million COVID-19 shots until Feb. 18.
The “Bayanihan, Bakunahan 3” program has given 1.5 million jabs as of Sunday, Cabotaje said.
“We are thinking of various strategies. We might hold it monthly, limit it to specific areas or specific targets. We need to raise the vaccination of our senior citizens a bit,” she said.
Some local governments offer house-to-house vaccination to bedridden senior citizens, she said.
“We will bring the vaccination sites closer to our senior citizens. We will make it easier for them to register. For our immunocompromised, we will ramp up coordination with hospitals,” she added.
On Monday, the government expanded its rollout of vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 on a nationwide scale.
The rollout will run in parallel with the third round of the Bayanihan Bakunahan program, which was extended until Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the government has opened 482 vaccination sites for children ages 5 to 11, with 84 in Metro Manila.
The DOH Region 1 started its pediatric vaccination on Monday, targeting 25,000 children aged 5 to 11.
“I strongly advise parents to accompany their own children during the vaccination. We will not be giving vaccines to those with incomplete requirements,” said Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco.
She also said it is important to show parent’s consent. He also assured parents they should not be worried about the vaccines because they are giving Pfizer vaccines approved by the FDA.
The vaccine, she said, will provide children with protection against serious illnesses caused by the coronavirus.
She said the regional office has established 16 vaccination sites strategically located in various provinces where parents and guardians may bring their children ages 5-11 years old for vaccination from Feb. 14 to 18.
In Ilocos Norte Province, eligible residents for vaccination may go to Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, Laoag City Health Office, Dingras Rural Health Unit and at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Health Office.
For Ilocos Sur, parents may proceed to Vigan City Health Office and Tagudin RHU.
Vaccination sites in Pangasinan are located at the Dagupan City People’s Astrodome, Conrado Estrella Trauma and Medical Center, Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital, Urdaneta District Hospital, Bayambang District Hospital, San Jacinto, Bani, Umingan Community Hospital and SM Rosales,
For La Union, the vaccination center will be at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center.
“For parents with children aged 5-11 years old, you may bring your children to the nearest vaccination sites in your area for the free COVID vaccine,” she said.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, meanwhile, announced it has converted its vaccination facility to a child-friendly area as the agency started inoculating kids aged 5 to 11.
Child stars and children of showbiz personalities and players of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and MMDA officials were
inoculated during the launch held at the facility in Makati.
MMDA officer-in-charge and general manager Romando Artes said the pediatric vaccination program of MMDA is open for all children and allows walk-in. However, kids who are to be vaccinated should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
“There’s no need to pre-register but parents or guardians need to present proof that their kids are at least 5 years old and they also
need to complete a consent form before their kids get vaccinated,” Artes said.
“We are targeting 50 to 100 kids to be vaccinated at the MMDA facility daily,” he added.