Improvements in COVID-19 vaccine schedule needed –Philippine Medical Association

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) on Saturday said there was a need to improve the scheduling system for the national COVID-19 vaccination program to avoid crowding at inoculation sites.

“So far marami pang kailangan ayusin [sa vaccine rollout]. Ang kailangan pa nating ayusin ay ang timing ng pagbabakuna - iyong oras ng pagpunta nila roon para hindi masyadong mahaba ang pila,” PMA president Dr. Benito Atienza said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(So far, our vaccination program still needs improvements. We need to fix the schedule of vaccinations, the time slot for each recipient so that it will not cause long lines in the vaccination sites.)

He also raised the need for more vaccinators who will help inoculate COVID-19 jab recipients.

Atienza cited the situation in Quezon City where there are many vaccination sites but there are no healthcare workers available to administer the shots.

“Dito sa Quezon City, maraming vaccination centers pero kulang magbabakuna dapat well-coordinted ‘yan,” he said.

(Here in Quezon City, there are a lot of vaccination sites but we lack health workers who will administer the shots.)

“Ang kailangan lang e coordination para siguradong may magbabakuna kasi nand’yan na ang bakuna at dapat ‘di masayang ang bakuna kasi yung iba d’yan ay mag-eexpire at ang kailangan ‘yung cold chain (facility),” he added.

(What we need is coordination so that we are sure that the vaccines will not go to waste because some of the doses will expire and it needs a cold chain facility.)

The PMA president said they have vowed to help the government in campaigning, administering the jabs, and monitoring the COVID-19 vaccine recipients.

He said they will coordinate with the government to help in administering the vaccines, especially in June and July as the bulk of COVID-19 doses are expected to arrive in the Philippines during those months.

On the other hand, the PMA welcomed the government’s inclusion of family members of healthcare workers in the A1 priority group.

“Matagal na po naming hinihingi ‘yan at nagpapasalamat po kami sa [Inter-Agency Task Force] na pinagbigyan ang kahilingan natin,” he said.

(We have been waiting for this and we thank the IATF for granting our request.)

Atienza explained that the medical frontliners are hesitant to go to their homes as they may carry the virus even after getting their COVID-19 vaccines.

“Ang nangyayari sa iba na kapag uuwi sa mga bahay e nagaagam-agam pa rin ang ating mga health workers kasi nga po wala pang bakuna ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay na kasama sa bahay e hindi naman po pwedeng ‘di sila uuwi,” he said.

(Our healthcare workers are hesitant to go home as their family members are not yet vaccinated.)

Some healthcare workers are even renting apartments to ensure that their family members will not contract COVID-19, Atienza added.

As of May 25, the Department of Health reported that 4,495,375 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered.

A total of 1,029,061 people have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 581,797 of whom are health workers, 195,952 are senior citizens, 250,777 are persons with comorbidities, and 535 are essential workers. — DVM, GMA News