Health Secretary Francisco Duque III pointed out that candidates, as influencers in their community, could get encourage more people to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19. (INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III urged candidates in the May 9 elections to campaign for COVID-19 vaccination too.
“I am calling on our candidates that while campaigning about their own platforms of leadership and governance that they also campaign for vaccination,” Duque said in Filipino during the weekly taped “Talk to the People“ briefing of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Because they’re influencers in their community, it would be nice if they also campaign for vaccination so that we can really achieve a whole-of-nation, whole-of-government approach,” Duque added.
Duque said this would help the government achieve its goal of vaccinating 90 million Filipinos by the end of June.
He made the call in light of reports that some 27 million COVID-19 vaccine doses would expire in July.
So far, 66.23 million persons have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which translates to 73.53 percent of the target population.
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