THE government yesterday launched the fourth round of the nationwide “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” program which aims to inoculate at least 1.8 million people as part of efforts to increase the population’s protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) chief and vaccine czar, said under the March 10 to 12 national vaccination day, vaccines are not just available in vaccine centers but would now be brought closer to the people through the inoculation drives in their workplaces and clinics of private doctors.
He said the people should take advantage of the national vaccination days as he encouraged those who are unvaccinated, those who are already due for a second dose, or those due for boosters to be inoculated.
NTF medical adviser Ted Herbosa said now is the time for the people, especially those in areas under Alert Level 1, to be vaccinated as they are freer to leave their homes.
Galvez and Vince Dizon, presidential adviser on COVID-19 response, acknowledged the help of the Philippine Medical Association as their members nationwide opened up clinics as vaccination sites.
Dizon, during the “Bida Tungo sa New Normal” forum in Dagupan City in Pangasinan, said the use of the private clinics will be a boost to efforts to locate who are still unvaccinated.
The Department of Labor and Employment urged private sector employers to excuse their workers who will get vaccinated or will bring their children to vaccination sites.
“Employers are highly encouraged to allow their employees to avail of the vaccination or accompany their children to be vaccinated without being considered absent,” said DOLE in an advisory.
As an alternative, the labor department urged them to at least allow their employees to use their leave credits.
“The concerned employees may be allowed to utilize their available leave credits during the NVD, subject to company policy or collective bargaining agreement,” said DOLE.
Covered by the advisory are employees who are due for the second dose and booster shots.
Also covered are senior citizen employees, and those who will accompany their children in getting jabbed.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said he has ordered the PNP to deploy additional policemen for the three-day Bakunahan 4 to ensure systematic and orderly vaccination, maintain order in queues, and ensure the safety of vaccine teams and the public.
Año, a key member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, noted that declining COVID-19 infections has allowed more people to go out, thus the risk of more crime incidence.
“So its better that our policemen are prepared to ensure the safety of the vaccinators and the vaccinees,” said Año.
As of March 9, about 137.35 million doses of vaccines have been administered nationwide.
More than 62.68 million have received their first dose, 63.99 million are fully vaccinated, and 10.675 million have received their booster.
The country has received at least 233.85 million doses of vaccines including 1.184 million doses that arrived Wednesday night. Part of Wednesday’s vaccine delivery are 1.08 million doses of reformulated Pfizer vaccines for five-to-11-years-olds.
Another 1.08 million doses of reformulated vaccines are set to arrive on Friday night.
As of March 1, about 918,000 doses have been administered to the five-11-year-old group as first dose while 8.597 million adolescent or aged 12 to17 are now fully vaccinated.
Faced with expiring vaccines, the Department of Health is looking to donate some COVID-19 vaccines to other countries.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said possible recipients are Myanmar, Cambodia, and some African nations.
“The idea is we will donate those whose expiration or shelf life has not been extended. It will be donated before it gets expired,” he said.
The Philippine plan to donate COVID-19 vaccines was disclosed last week by NTF adviser Dr Ted Herbosa.
Duque said yesterday, “The decision is to donate to countries with low vaccine coverage and supply. Our purpose is noble in wanting to help our brothers from other countries, where COVID-19 continues to spread.”
Duque said the decision to donate was recommended by the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC). “We just have to finalize the exact quantity that will be donated.”
NVOC chair and Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said the DOH is working with the Department of Foreign Affairs about “the system in donating to other countries.”
Duque said the government still has to inform the COVAX Facility of the planned donation as most of the doses originally came from it.
“I’m not sure if clearance is needed but we need to ask them. Remember, most of these donations came from COVAX, so we need to get them on board,” he said.
Cabotaje said they are still conducting an inventory on the number of expiring vaccine doses. — With Gerard Naval and Victor Reyes
