A health official said it is not yet time for the country to transition to Alert Level Zero or the new normal without meeting the country’s target COVID-19 vaccination rate.
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, chairperson of the National Vaccination Operations Center, said the country needs “more innovative and creative strategies” to urge more individuals to get vaccinated.
Based on National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 data, there have been 64,212,568 individuals who have received their doses since the country’s vaccination rollout in March 20221. This is 71.35% of the 90 million target population.
Cabotaje said there is still complacency among fully vaccinated individuals who have yet to get their booster shots, and hesitance among senior citizens to get vaccinated.
“Palagay nila di na kailangan ng booster kasi kumpleto na sila, bumababa ang kaso, walang threat,” she said in the Mar. 12 Laging Handa briefing.
“Pananaw ng ating senior citizen, mamatay na sila, ‘di na nila kailangan ang bakuna. Pero kailangan, more advocacies for those who don’t want to be vaccinated,” she added.
Cabotaje reminded the public that the threat of COVID-19 has not yet been eliminated, citing the surge of hospital admissions abroad among unvaccinated individuals, especially the elderly population.
“Huwag nating bigyang pagkakataon magaya tayo sa ibang bansa na napuno ang mga ospital ng ‘di pa kumpleto ang bakuna o hindi pa bakunado,” she said.
Meanwhile, she said the country’s vaccination for the pediatric population “is dong well,” with over a million recipients among the five to 11 years old age group, and over 70% coverage for the 12 to 17 years old population. — Report from Cleizl Pardilla/AG – bny
Watch the report here:
