WITH just two weeks left before the Marcos administration marks its first 100 days, the Department of Health is giving a final push to meet the target number of COVID-19 booster shots by holding special vaccination days from today to Friday.
The “PinasLakas Special Vaccination Days” was originally set to be held nationwide but due to “super typhoon Karding” which was hitting a number of areas in Luzon yesterday, the special vaccination operations will be held only in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The activity in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) and the rest of Luzon is suspended “indefinitely” due to the inclement weather condition, said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH officer-in-charge.
“PinasLakas Bakunahang Bayan launches in other regions not covered by this order may proceed as scheduled upon the discretion of concerned executive committee members and regional directors,” she said Vergeire.
Earlier yesterday, Vergeire asked the public coordinate with their local government units (LGUs) for their vaccination schedule.
“Head over to your vaccination sites between September 26 to 30. Get registered with your LGU so you can get vaccinated and boosted,” she said.
Before the cancellation of operations in Luzon, Vergeire was supposed lead the booster drive in Trece Martires, Cavite, parts of which were under storm Signal No. 3 earlier yesterday.
Last July, the DOH said it was looking to administer booster shots to 23 million eligible Filipinos in the first 100 days of the Marcos administration, which will be on October 8. That meant 39 million Filipinos given booster shots by October 8, or around 50 percent of the 78 million eligible population.
But last week, the DOH announced it lowered its target number of boosted individuals to 30 percent or 23.4 million of the 78 million eligible population.
As of September 18, some 18.9 million individuals have been given booster shots, including 2,708,323 during the term of President Marcos Jr.
In an earlier press briefing, Vergeire said the adjustment in their booster shot targets is due to “slow uptake.”
