NTF urges LGUs to pass ordinances on ‘no vaccine preference policy'

The National Task Force Against COVID-19 on Saturday urged local government units (LGUs) to pass ordinances that would support the “no vaccine preference policy."

In a statement, the NTF said the objective of the proposal was "to ensure that all vaccine supplies will be utilized."

Health officials have repeatedly said that the vaccines, regardless of brand, provide protection against severe disease and death.

“This will be a preview, as we push for mandatory vaccination, especially of those who are highly vulnerable and residents who live in high density populations,” vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

The National Vaccination Operations Center will also be issuing a memorandum containing incentives as well as disincentives in order to address the issue of vaccine hesitancy, Galvez said.

The Cabinet official issued the statement as the national government aims to scale up the country's vaccination output. He earlier said the target was to administer up to 1.5 million vaccine doses daily beginning November 20.

Galvez, along with key officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the NTF met with provincial and city chief executives on Friday to discuss strategies that need to be implemented to achieve the country’s vaccination coverage target.

“All resources of the government will be mobilized to achieve our goal and these will be complemented by our private sector partners. Because at the end of the day, we share a common vision, and that is, to protect lives and ensure the sustainable reopening of the Philippine economy,” he said.

He said that while the focus of the current vaccination rollout will be residents of key cities, provinces, and those areas with a high level of economic activity, the national government will provide support to all regions.

“We will activate more vaccination sites and ensure that LGUs will bring in their residents to these sites to get inoculated. We will also strengthen the coordination between the DOTr (Department of Transportation) and LGUs that have geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas and communities to fast track the deployment of vaccines," Galvez said.

Barangay officials will begin to map out the residents of their respective communities who are yet to receive the vaccine and bring them to vaccination sites, he said.

Employees of national government agencies will also be trained so they can help augment the vaccinators of LGUs, while civil society and non-government organizations will be asked to serve as volunteers in vaccination sites.

Religious leaders will also be tapped to encourage their parishioners to get vaccinated.

The Philippines administered 1,119,389 doses on November 4, the highest since the country rolled out its mass immunization program in March. 

“With the concerted efforts of all sectors of society in ramping up our country’s vaccination throughput, we are confident that our daily jab rate will soon hit the 1.5 million mark and will be sustained,” Galvez said. —VBL, GMA News