WHO urges house-to-house jabs to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination

MANILA, Philippines — The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday urged local government units to use “last mile” approaches to COVID-19 vaccination, which include house-to-house vaccinations to further reach those still unvaccinated.

WHO Acting Representative to Asia Dr. Rajendra Yadav said local government units should aim to have over 70% of their residents vaccinated to achieve “adequate herd immunity,” but he expressed alarm over some areas with still low vaccination rates.

“The local chief executives of the places where barangays have low coverage, we need to step up reaching the unreached through last-mile approach, which basically means using house-to-house vaccinations and close to home vaccinations,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing.

He said that instead of waiting for people to go to vaccination sites, the government should instead bring the vaccines to them, especially to people who have problems with access.

He pointed out that some people cannot take days off from work or cannot even travel to go to the sites.

“We have to reach out to these people who may have more challenges of access, especially people who are elderly and they cannot even travel for 20 to 30 minutes or are merely discouraged if they have to travel,” Yadav said.

“So rather than waiting for them in vaccination sites, we have to reach out to them and get vaccinated. That’s the best thing we can do,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered house-to-house vaccinations, suggesting that doses that are nearing expiry can be used on the drive.

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