DOH: National vaccination days to continue under Marcos admin

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 29) — The Department of Health (DOH) said the nationwide vaccination drive during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte will continue under President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s leadership.

"Gusto lang natin sabihin na lahat ng isinagawa ng ating previous na national vaccines operations cluster itutuloy po natin yan," said Undersecretary Mara Rosario Vergeire Vergeire, who will take the helm of the National Vaccination Operations Center under the new administration.

[Translation: We just want to say we will continue all things previously done by our national vaccines operations cluster.[

"So, we have done our national vaccination days before at nakita natin na naging successful at nakapagpataas tayo ng antas ng pagbabakuna, so we will still do this," she added.

[Translation: So, we have done our national vaccination days before and saw it was successful and increased the rate of vaccinations, so we will still do this.]

Vergeire, however, said new, long-term solutions must now be considered.

"Kailangan iisip na tayo ng long-term solution," she said. "Kasi, ito ay short-term solution and we cannot even sustain this based on resources. Kailangan umisip tayo ng ibang strategies para mas maitaas ang antas ng pagbabakuna sa ating bansa. But, definitely we will continue on for this year the national vaccination days."

[Translation: We should also think of a long-term solution. Because this is a short-term one and we cannot even sustain this based on resources. We must think of other strategies to raise vaccine rates in the country. But, definitely we will continue on for this year the national vaccination days.]

The government held several national vaccination drives dubbed "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" which began in the latter part of 2021. These were done to speed up the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine doses.

In its latest bulletin released on June 28, the DOH said over 70 million individuals have been vaccinated against COVID-19, while only over 14 million have received their booster shots.

At Wednesday's Laging Handa briefing, Vergeire said the priority must now be on the administration of booster shots.

"Sa tingin ko, at sa tingin ng gobyerno mas mahalaga ngayon ang ipursige maka-receive ng first booster shot itong 74% ng eligible population, which is around 40 million Filipinos na kailangang maka-receive ng first booster," she said.

[Translation: I think, and the government thinks as well, it is now more important for the 74% of the eligible population, which is around 40 million Filipinos, to receive their first booster.]

Vergeire added that they are now studying the possibility of giving booster shots to all other sectors.