New strategies to ramp up COVID-19 booster vac
By Nidz Godino
” We will change strategies…we will intensify our advocacies…because some people are hard to convince even if our vaccine hesitancy has gone down, ” National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said at the Laging Handa briefing the Philippine government is eyeing to implement different strategies to ramp up country’s booster inoculation against COVID-19.
Cabotaje said only 1 million out of the 3 million due for booster shots were vaccinated during “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” III from February 10 to 18,2022.
Around 3.4 million individuals were vaccinated out of the total 5 million target during vaccination drive.
” Further, we need to intensify advocacies on urgency of boosters, the advantage of booster shots,” she stressed.
Cabotaje said while public is aware of importance of COVID-19 vaccines, they cannot see the urgency of getting boosters shots.
” They know vaccines and boosters are important, but they were not aware of the urgency,” she said.
“They don’t want to miss their jobs because if they miss one day or they experience side effects, they will lose their jobs…so we are looking at arrangements to move it to Friday or Saturday… if they are busy on Saturday and Sunday, then they can get vaccinated on weekdays,” she added.
She said government must adjust booster vaccination by area and sector.
Further, she said government is seeking to place bakunahan centers in areas with low vaccination rates.
Cabotaje also said 2.4 million senior citizens remain unvaccinated against illness. Cabotaje said around 68% have received at least one dose while 70% have been fully vaccinated.
“Hindi naman vaccine hesitancy… ‘yung iba ayaw na kasi sabi nila mamamatay na sila…hindi nila naiintindihan na kapag sila ay nagkasakit ay maaffect din ‘yung kanilang pamilya…kailangan siguro mas mapadali ‘yung ating mga proseso,” she said.
Cabotaje said some local governments had conducted house-to-house visits as some senior citizens are having difficulty visiting vaccination sites that are far away.
She said one of the problems in vaccine hesitancy is due to religious and cultural beliefs.
“Isang problema natin sa mga ayaw magpabakuna na senior ay nasa… ‘yung sa BARMM tapos some of the cultural dito sa North kasi may mga cultural and religious beliefs, we will work more closely with all senior citizen groups para ma-focus natin ngayon kung sino talaga ‘yung area na kailangang bigyang pansin ” Cabotaje said.
ISKUP! 