INQUIRER.net file photo
COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao, Philippines — Facing the same old challenge of vaccine hesitancy, health authorities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said they would continue with the government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign to cover a wide area in the region in 10 days next month.
The BARMM’s Ministry of Health (MOH) had set May 11 to May 20 for special vaccination days, tapping other agencies of the regional government and its development partners for massive community campaigns to generate more demand for vaccines in a bid to increase their protection against the disease. This will run parallel to vaccination operations, it said.
According to BARMM Health Minister Zul Qarneyn Abas, they adjusted the schedules so the vaccine rollout will be done after the fasting month of Ramadan which started on April 3.
The BARMM has administered a total of 1,179,146 vaccine doses but only 836,000 people in the region are fully vaccinated. Records showed that 1,472,917 people had yet to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity in the region.
Abas noted that some people in the region’s communities displayed aggression to express their opposition to the vaccination effort. This weighed down vaccination coverage.
Indigenous peoples
Apart from Muslims who had issues with vaccines, like its being halal (lawful or permitted in Islam), Cabinet Secretary Moh’d Asnin Pendatun told a news conference on Monday that vaccine hesitancy was also observed among the region’s indigenous peoples which account for some 5 percent of the total population.
“Because of the pandemic’s impact on indigenous peoples, as well as their traditional beliefs, vaccination hesitancy is high,” Pendatun said.
He said they would talk with tribal leaders to convince them to avail of COVID-19 shots.
Towns in Basilan province will be allotted six days, from May 11 to May 13, and from May 16 to May 18, for the vaccination drive. The provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao, and the city of Marawi will be given five days, from May 16 to May 20; while three days each will be set for Sulu (May 11 to May 13), Tawi-Tawi (May 18 to May 20), and Lamitan City in Basilan (May 11 to May 13) to administer the shots.
For Lanao del Sur, the MOH will focus on the towns of Malabang, Lumba Bayabao, Masiu, Marantao, Maguing, Bayang, Balindong, Ganassi, Tugaya, Balabagan, Madalum, Piagapo, Tamparan, Binidayan, Bacolod-Kalawi, Saguiaran, Taraka, Kapai and Lumbatan.
For Marawi City, the targets are people living in transitory shelters and host communities of Dimalna, Lomidong, Cabingan, Biaba Damag, Rapasun, Basak Malutlut, East Basak, Poblacion and Bangon.The national government earlier said it was worried about a surge of COVID-19 infections in the BARMM owing to its low vaccination coverage.
Complacency
Apart from hesitancy, health officials will have to battle with complacency, especially now that the rate of infection throughout the region is low.
On Monday, a lone infection was recorded by the Bangsamoro Inter-Agency Task Force in Cotabato City, bringing to six the total active cases in the region.
As of April 25, the region recorded 19,766 total confirmed cases with 688 deaths and 19,072 recoveries.
Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, Basilan and Lamitan City, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi have zero cases, according to Dr. Amirel Usman, the MOH director general.
The BARMM also reported no fatality due to COVID-19 since March 30.
“The region has been categorized as low risk for the past weeks, even months. On several days, we have zero new infections, sometimes we have only one or two or three cases,” Usman said on Monday.
He noted that most of the hospital beds reserved for COVID-19 cases had been empty, a good indication that “our infections are very low now.”
—WITH A REPORT FROM RYAN D. ROSAURO
RELATED STORIES
BARMM to hold special COVID-19 vaccination drive in May
Duterte to BARMM officials: Give COVID-19 vax drive a ‘little push’
Low vax coverage in BARMM poses‘ biggest problem’