4th COVID-19 ‘Bakunahan’ extended to March 18 for seniors

Elder residents receive the jab of Astrazeneca vaccine at Barangay 672 Zone 73 in Paco, Manila on March 28, 2021 during the start of vaccination for seniors citizens of the local government. RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — The fourth leg of the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” drive against COVID-19 will be extended for senior citizens until Friday, March 18, the chairperson of the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) said Tuesday.

“Ang A2, i-e-extend natin hanggang Biyernes para may special focus at ‘yung mga kailangan pataasin pa ‘yung kanilang coverage ng A2,” NVOC chair and Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said at the Laging Handa public briefing.

(We will extend the vaccination for A2 until Friday so that there will be a special focus for them and so that other areas can increase their coverage for A2.)

The fourth vaccination drive, also called the National Vaccination Days, was initially set on March 10 to 12. The government was aiming to vaccinate 1.8 million individuals during this period.

However, Cabotaje earlier said that only 836,000 were vaccinated during these dates.

She said the national government has allowed the request of some local government units to extend the vaccination drive for the general population until this Tuesday.

With the program’s extension, Cabotaje said 1.4 million have been inoculated against coronavirus until this Tuesday morning.

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