Vaccination. AFP via The Straits Times/Asia News Network
MANILA, Philippines — The government is planning to make its nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 called “Bayanihan, Bakunahan,” which was originally held for three days, into a monthly event.
During Friday’s Laging Handa briefing, Presidential Adviser for COVID-19 Response Secretary Vince Dizon said the Bayanihan, Bakunahan will still continue, stressing the importance of intensifying mass inoculation as new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus seem to always emerge.
SARS-CoV-2 causes the serious respiratory ailment COVID-19.
“Tuluy-tuloy po iyan. Kailangan talaga paigtingin natin ito at plano gawin natin iyan buwan-buwan,” he said.
(Yes, it will continue. We need to intensify our vaccination and we are planning to hold the program monthly.)
“Alam ninyo ang pagbabakuna, tuluy-tuloy na po ito dahil nga sinabi nga ng mga eksperto, itong COVID-19 lagi na lang siyang nagmu-mutate, laging nagkakaroon ng mga iba’t ibang mga bagong variant,” added Dizon.
(You know the vaccination is continuous because experts said that COVID-19 mutates, it leads to various variants.)
The government has already conducted two Bayanihan, Bakunahan events — first, on November 29 to December 1, with some areas extending until December 3, and second, on December 15-22.
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The government is targeting to fully immunize 54 million people against COVID-19 by the end of 2020 to achieve population protection against the new coronavirus.
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The government also said that nearly 47 million people in the country are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of December 23.