5 regions post lowest vax rate

MANILA, Philippines — Five regions have recorded the lowest vaccination rate for COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) topped the list, with vaccination coverage of only 24.64 percent, followed by Soccsksargen, 53.69 percent; Central Visayas, 56.93 percent; Mimaropa, 60.13 percent, and Caraga, 61.19 percent.

DOH Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center head Myrna Cabotaje said vaccine hesitancy, especially among senior citizens, is among the reasons for the low vaccination rate.

The government said three million senior citizens have yet to receive their COVID jabs.

Cabotaje said access to cold storage facilities as well as management and transport of the vaccines are the other issues being confronted by regions with low vaccination rate.

She said remote areas in the five regions also hamper access to the vaccines.

Cabotaje said some local government units remain “not very receptive” to vaccination while inadequate access to human resources is a problem in some areas.

National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said 10 regions have vaccinated more than 70 percent of their population, five of them with vaccination coverage of more than 80 percent.

These are Metro Manila with 114.1 percent; Ilocos, 86.4 percent; Cagayan Valley, 83.58 percent; Central Luzon, 83.4 percent; Cordillera Administrative Region, 82.51 percent; Calabarzon, 79.77 percent; Western Visayas, 79.09 percent; Davao, 74.72 percent; Northern Mindanao, 74.68 percent, and Zamboanga peninsula, 70.83 percent.

Around 61.63 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday.

Up to 61.23 million have received their first dose while 9.16 million have been given booster shots.