MANILA, Philippines — The national government aims to administer at least 15 million doses against COVID-19 in November, as the country moves to achieve its target herd immunity.
In a televised meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. also said they are looking to inoculate hospital personnel and health care workers with booster shots by end of November.
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For the academic sector, the vaccine czar said they aim to have teachers, students and school personnel fully vaccinated in this month.
Galvez added that they also aim to inoculate more senior citizens to have at least 70% of the elderly citizens fully vaccinated in November. He said so far, 60% of senior citizens, among those most vulnerable to the coronavirus, have received their first dose.
The government also started rolling out vaccination of adolescents aged 12-17 in October, as well as the inoculation of the general adult population. The latest data showed that the country has so far administered 60,406,424 doses as of November 2. There are now 27.749 million Filipinos who completed their doses, while 32.656 million others are tagged as partially vaccinated.
‘National Vaccination Day’
To further ramp up vaccination, Galvez said they are looking to achieving one million to 1.5 million jabs daily, starting November 20.
He also told President Rodrigo Duterte that the Philippine Medical Association and allied medical associations with some of the members of the Rotary Club proposed a “National Vaccination Day” to be held on November 20 or 30, where efforts will be concerted on inoculation of thousands of Filipinos.
“That day, most of our local government units, health care workers and agencies will focus on vaccination,” he said in Filipino.
Galvez also explained that they aim to activate the 4,000 to 5,000 vaccinate sites nationwide. These cover malls, universities, schools, gyms, camps and function halls of different government agencies.
Non-governmental organizations, government agencies, private sector and volunteers will also be mobilized.
Duterte warns LGUs of sanctions
President Duterte, meanwhile, warned local government units that they may face sanctions if they fail to administer vaccines in an “expeditious manner.”
Expressing discontentment with the vaccination program, Duterte noted that doses are already in the country. He said he ordered Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to “impose the necessary sanction against LGUs and local chief executives who are not performing nor using the doses given to them in the most expeditious manner.
“I will hold each and every LGU accountable for this,” the president added.
Galvez, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines were told to provide all support to the LGUs for the delivery of vaccination and mobilization of resources.
This is to achieve the country’s target to administer one million jabs or more per day, Duterte added. — Kristine Joy Patag