‘Slow’ COVID-19 vaccination still due to limited supply, other factors —DOH exec

The scarce supply of COVID-19 vaccines and other factors such as spikes in cases continue to hamper the country’s inoculation campaign, a health official said Thursday after a poll found that 50% of Filipinos find the vaccination rollout slow.

“It’s slow in the sense na kulang ‘yung bakuna (that vaccine supply is limited) and it’s slow in the sense na may mga (that there are) intervening factors, especially the surges,” Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said in an online forum.

Cabotaje said that while local governments in Metro Manila have found their “rhythm” in rolling out vaccines, authorities in other areas struggle with a shortage of manpower, not just supply.

“Sa ibang areas kasi ‘pag nagkaroon ng surge, kalahati ng health worker o lahat ng kanilang health worker, nando’n sa response so kokonti ang naiiwan pang-bakuna,” she explained.

(In other areas, when there is a surge, half or all the health workers are in the COVID-19 response so only a few are left to vaccinate.)

“We are now helping them with the human resource katulad po ng private sector, ‘yung ating nasa medical school kung paano makatulong in areas na made-deprive ng health worker,” she added.

(We are now helping them with the human resource like through the private sector and those in medical school to help areas deprived of health workers.)

A Social Weather Stations survey conducted June 23 to 26 revealed that 50% of Filipinos found the COVID-19 vaccination rollout slow. 

The Philippines has fully inoculated over 12.88 million individuals as of August 18, still far from the target of vaccinating 70 million people. — RSJ, GMA News