Gov’t intends to deploy 6 million J&J COVID jab doses to BARMM – Galvez

The Johnson&Johnson’s Janssen single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

MANILA, Philippines — The government is inclined to deploy 6 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) where vaccine hesitancy is observed, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday.

In ANC’s Headstart, Galvez reacted to the low vaccination status in BARMM and the vaccine hesitancy of residents.

“Talagang problema namin talaga ‘yung hesitation. Nakita namin, when we deployed ‘yung three million na J&J, ang taas ng acceptance,” he said.

(Our problem is hesitation. We saw that when we deployed three million J&J, the acceptance rate was high.)

Galvez said that the government purchased six million J&J doses to address the issue.

READ: PH to purchase 6-M doses of one-shot J&J COVID-19 vaccine

“So, ngayon ang ginawa namin, we ordered six million J&J and more or less baka mga this November hopefully, dumating ‘yung 4.5 million,” he said.

(So, what we did, we ordered six million J&J and more or less maybe this November hopefully, the 4.5 million doses will arrive.)

“We will intend to deploy it to the different areas of BARMM, considering also Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, saka (and) Basilan. Very, tinatawag nating (what we call), advantageous ‘yung (is the) J&J na (which is) single-shot,” he added.

Recently, a member of the country’s Vaccine Expert Panel pointed out that vaccine hesitancy remains the “biggest challenge” in the national COVID-19 immunization program.

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