LGUs may need to expand sites, extend hours of vaccination — DOH

Bayanihan Bakunahan in Cebu City. Image from Facebook / Cebu City Public Information Office

MANILA, Philippines — Local government units (LGUs) may need to exert more effort to accommodate more individuals seeking to get a COVID-19 vaccine during the three-day national vaccination days, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said on Monday.

“The LGUs may need to expand the sites and extend the hours para ho mas marami tayong mabakunahan (to vaccinate more), and we are hoping that we will be able to meet our targets,” she said during the 4 p.m. inoculation drive update aired on PTV.

Aside from expanding the vaccination centers and stretching the hours, Cabotaje pushed concerned authorities to accept walk-ins as there were reports that some areas cannot accommodate walk-in vaccinees.

“We would like to encourage our bakuna (vaccination) centers, ang ating mga (our) health workers, ang ating mga (our) LGUs to accept walk-ins,” she said.

Moreover, Cabotaje shared that they are eyeing to incentivize the program.

“In the next few days, we will try to look at—not only by region but also by province and highly urbanized city — kung nasaan ba sila (where they stand) as against their target para may (so there would be an) incentive,” she noted.

Further, Cabotaje encouraged Filipinos to head to vaccination centers and get a COVID-19 jab if they do not have one yet.

The national vaccination drive will be held from November 29 to December 1 to administer nine million COVID-19 vaccine doses.

It is open for individuals yet to receive their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, and for health workers, senior citizens, and select immunocompromised individuals who are eligible to receive a booster shot.

The government will conduct another three-day national vaccination program on December 15 to 17.

As of November 28, the country has fully inoculated 35,678,774, accounting for 46.25 percent of the target population. Meanwhile, 45,430,089 people or 58.89 percent of the target have received their first dose.

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EDV