BuCor inmates to get at least 30K jabs from national vaccination program
MANILA, Philippines — The national government has allotted at least 30,000 vaccines to Persons Deprived of Liberty in Bureau of Corrections facilities, as part of the National Vaccination Days program, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.
"These vaccines will be farmed out to the various prison facilities of the BuCor for administration," the justice chief told reporters on Thursday.
Guevarra had earlier asked the National Task Force against COVID-19 to include PDLs in the three-day "Bayanihan Bakunahan" program, which vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. approved in a letter dated November 25.
The national government mounted the three-day program, which started on November 30, to ramp up the country’s inoculation drive. It is also mulling another three-day vaccination program on December 15 to 17, amid fears of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
PDL vaccination not limited to 3-day period
The inoculation of PDLs however are not bound by the three-day program of the government, Guevarra said.
The justice secretary explained the bureau will receive the supply allocated to them. Administration of the vaccines however will be up to BuCor’s discretion.
“In [two to three] days the national vaccination operations center will deliver the vaccines directly to the various prison facilities of the BuCor across the country. The BuCor will provide its own vaccinators,” he added.
Latest data from the bureau showed that 9,359 out of 48,539 PDLs across the country have so far completed their doses. There are 28,286 others tagged as partially vaccinated as of November 19.
The NTF against COVID-19 has also allowed local government units to extend their operations for the national vaccination drive until Friday to sustain the momentum in rolling out shots.
As of Thursday, the government reported that 7,628,432 individuals were vaccinated against COVID-19 during the campaign, which is more than one million short of the set target. Health authorities however are hopeful for an increase in total output as more vaccinators submit data. — with reports from Gaea Katreena Cabico
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