PMA eyeing COVID-19 vaccination in doctors’ clinics in Visayas, Mindanao next week

 (REUTERS/file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Medical Association president Benito Atienza  on Thursday said the association is eyeing to extend the COVID-19 vaccination in doctors’ clinics in the Visayas and Mindanao by next week.

Atienza said the PMA’s vaccination initiative has so far only been launched in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and the Southern Tagalog region.

He said other regions have likewise expressed interest in the program.

“Interested din ang ibang mga regions at siguro next week, i-extend namin ito sa ibang regions, especially sa Visayas and Mindanao na regions ng PMA,” he said in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(Other regions are also interested so we may extend this to other regions, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao.)

He said the regional offices of the PMA will coordinate with the regional offices of the Department of Health (DOH) which in turn will link them to the local government units.

So far, Atienza said the PMA is collating the list of doctors who are willing to turn their clinics into COVID-19 vaccination sites.

The primary target of vaccinations in clinics is the administration of booster doses to 18 years old and above, and the inoculating of senior citizens.

Atienza said the vaccination of minors aged 5 to 17 will take place in hospitals as their vaccine doses require cold chain storage.

Atienza urged Filipinos to get vaccinated and not be complacent despite the decreasing number of COVID-19 infections.

gsg