Gordon wants dentists, medtechs, Pinoys without medical background to be trained as vaccinators

Senator Richard Gordon wants more Filipinos who don't usually administer vaccinations to be trained as vaccinators as the Philippines looks to start rolling out its immunization plan in February.

Gordon made the proposal as he questioned - during a Senate inquiry on Friday - the Department of Health’s (DOH) capability to conduct the vaccination program with only 617,239 health care workers to participate in the campaign based on the department’s data.

“I will file a bill on Monday that during times of emergency or even there is no crisis, dapat mag-train ng vaccinators gaya ng mga dentista, veterinarians, medical technologists, at kahit iyong walang medical background. We can put to bear millions of our young people who may want to become doctors someday and can practice with bakuna, provided it’s under clinical supervision,” he said.

“Nagdududa ako dito sa 617,239 to vaccinate 70 million Filipinos although, of course, hindi naman sabay-sabay ‘yan. Habang dumarating ang vaccine, paunti-unti, nagbabakuna tayo. Alam naman natin, mababa ang vaccination natin,” Gordon said emphasizing the low performance rate of the country’s National Immunization Program.

He said the performance rate was 70% in 2016, 67% in 2017, 66% in 2018, and 69% in 2019. "So, hindi pa tayo masyadong bihasa sa pagbabakuna,” he added.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III agreed with Gordon’s proposal not only for COVID-19, but for other diseases, as well.

Philippine vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said that the government aims to vaccinate 60 to 70 percent of Filipinos in three to five years.

About 82.5 billion pesos was allocated by the government for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines this year, of which, 70 billion pesos will be sourced from foreign loans. -MDM, GMA News