New jab drive aims to reach 50% of booster target in Marcos' first 100 days
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will launch a COVID-19 vaccination program that aims to administer booster shots to 50% of the government’s target population in the first 100 days of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Department of Health said Wednesday.
The "PinasLakas" campaign seeks to administer boosters to 23.8 million individuals. In order to achieve the target, the government needs to inoculate 397,334 individuals daily for 60 days.
The program, which will be launched on July 26, also aims to inoculate 90% of the target senior citizen population during the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.
"Sa halip na malawakang bakunahan, mas ilalapit natin ang bakunahan sa komunidad para mas tumaas ang antas ng pagbabakuna," Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, officer-in-charge of the DOH, said in a briefing.
(Instead of mass vaccination, we will bring immunization activities closer to communities to increase the level of vaccination.)
The health department said it will make COVID-19 jabs “more accessible and available” in markets, places of worship, malls, transport terminals, offices, factories, plazas or schools. Home visits will be conducted for the elderly.
More than 71.4 million Filipinos have completed vaccination against COVID-19, but fewer people are taking booster shots. According to DOH, only over 15.7 million have received booster shots. Around 49 million individuals are still due to receive boosters.
Earlier this month, the chief executive said the government may relax the COVID-19 alert levels and lift the face mask requirement if the rollout of booster shots is successful.
The Philippines confirmed 14,640 additional COVID-19 cases—or an average of 2,091 infections a day—from July 11 to 17. There are currently 20,511 active cases.
Despite the increase in infection, all regions in the country remained at low risk.
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