DOH exec: BARMM's low vaccine coverage due to logistics issues

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has the lowest COVID-19 vaccine coverage in the country due to logistical constraints that impedes the delivery of vaccine doses, a health official said Friday.

“We have challenges in delivering vaccines to the BARMM but we want to assure everybody that we are also giving vaccines to the BARMM,” Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in a briefing.

She said irregular flight schedules as well as local peace and order conflicts affect the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to the region.

Cabotaje added that areas like Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur do not have large-capacity cold storage facilities for storing vaccines.

“Noong wala tayong influx of many vaccines, nakikigamit sila ng cold room sa ating Region 9 but now they cannot be accommodated kasi nga marami na ring bakuna na dumadating,” she said.

(Prior to the arrival of more vaccine supplies, they used Region 9's cold storage room, but now their stock cannot be accommodated anymore.)

“We are now trying, together with BARMM and our development partners, ano pa ba ‘yung mga pwede nating magawang mga strategy (what other strategies can be done) especially for the Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi areas,” she added.

Meanwhile, Cabotaje said the areas with the highest COVID-19 vaccine coverage are Metro Manila and the eight other priority areas.

NCR Plus 8 or COVID-19 hotspots Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao are the government’s top geographic priorities in the rollout of COVID-19 jabs.

“Sila po ang mataas ang coverage kasi sila rin ang nabibigyan ng maraming bakuna (They have the highest vaccine coverage because they are given a lot of vaccines),” Cabotaje said.

Other priority areas include Baguio, Tuguegarao, Naga, Legaspi, Bacolod, Iloilo City, Dumaguete, Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos City. 

The Philippines has vaccinated over 9.4 million individuals as of July 8 or 13.4% of its target 70-million population for COVID-19 vaccines. —LBG, GMA News