THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday announced the extension of the COVID-19 vaccination and booster drive “PinasLakas Bakunahang Bayan” to October 1.
The nationwide special vaccination period was supposed to end on September 30 but operations in Luzon were suspended last Monday were suspended because of super typhoon “Karding” which hit areas mostly Luzon.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire.
The extension was being made “compensate for the postponement of the campaign,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH officer-in-charge.
Vergeire said the special vaccination drive in Luzon was launched yesterday.
As for the first day of the special vaccination days, Vergeire said over 66,000 booster shots have been administered in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.
“We were able to accomplish 66,576, who have received their first booster shots in Visayas and Mindanao only,” she said.
She said the low number can be attributed to “inclement weather in parts of the Visayas, thereby preventing the vaccination drive from fully pushing through.”
To note, the DOH targets to administer booster shots to 30 percent, or 23.4 million, of 78 million eligible population for the 1st 100 days of the Marcos administration, which will be marked on October 8.
As of September 26, about 19.2 million individuals that have received their first booster doses.
Vergeire also said the DOH has started negotiations with vaccine manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer for the “new generation” vaccines, amid the rise of the Omicron as the most dominant strain of COVID-19.
“Last month, we met with Moderna manufacturers, where we asked for constant coordination while they asked for the term sheets,” said Vergeire.
“We also have continuing discussions with Pfizer for possible agreements. We already have a scheduled meeting with Pfizer manufacturers this coming week,” she said.
Vergeire said the DOH acknowledges the importance of making Omicron-specific vaccines available in the country.
“The government and the DOH knows the importance of this new generation, bivalent vaccines,” she said.
The bivalent vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer have been issued emergency use authorization (EUA) by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Currently, the Philippines and majority of nations are using the monovalent COVID-19 vaccines that target the original strain of the virus.
