DOH mulls ‘Bakunahan 4’ to increase booster coverage

MANILA, Philippines — To vaccinate more senior citizens and increase booster shot coverage against COVID-19, the government is now preparing to launch another round of “Bayanihan Bakunahan” next month.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, who heads the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC), said they plan to hold the fourth National Vaccinations Days by the second week of March.

“Our principal focus is the senior citizens, you know we have to protect the vulnerable, the 60 years old and above,” Cabotaje said during the Go Negosyo town hall meeting yesterday.

She cited how Hong Kong is now facing its fifth wave of COVID-19 cases because of low vaccination coverage among its senior citizens.

Cabotaje noted that here in the Philippines, they have already identified areas to be covered by Bakunahan 4.

At the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that in the next mass vaccination days, the NVOC intends to do a house-to-house drive to be able to reach the elderly.

“There are old folks in wheelchairs, there are those who cannot walk or confined in their houses because they are afraid to go out, so we’ll bring it to them through a house-to-house immunization campaign,” Duque said in Filipino.

He said this is one of the strategies along with increasing booster shot coverage.

Cabotaje noted that there were already 54 million fully vaccinated Filipinos due for their booster shot at the end of 2021. “But if you will look at the accomplishment report, we are only at 10 million (who got the booster shot), so it’s still low,” she said.

As daily infections continue to decline, the fully vaccinated apparently do not see the “urgency” to get a booster shot, said Cabotaje.

Dr. Maricar Limpin, Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) president, stressed the need to ramp up the vaccination program as the country gets ready to reopen the economy.

Limpin said the government should ensure that at least most of the 18 years old and above population, especially the vulnerable, get their booster shots.

Meanwhile, the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 directed 12 regions with high vaccination coverage to start directing their vaccination resources toward the administration of booster shots. – Neil Jayson Servallos