DOH supports mandatory vaccination for specific sectors

The Department of Health (DOH) expressed support Friday on the mandatory vaccination of specific vulnerable sectors against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), saying it is needed to achieve population protection.

At a media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency observed vaccine hesitancy among certain sectors.

“One of the things that we are looking at, we will never achieve ‘yung immunity na kailangan ng population natin kung may mga sector sa society natin na hindi mababakunahan,” Vergeire said.

(One of the things that we are looking at, we will never achieve immunity for the population if some sectors of the society will remain unvaccinated.)

“So isa po sa tinitignan natin na paraan (One of the ways we are looking at) is to make it mandatory,” she added.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said that an executive order from President Rodrigo Duterte may be sufficient for the mandatory vaccination.

According to Vergeire, the Inter-Agency Task Force is currently looking into proposing a law for this.

“Of course, we will heed to that statement of the Department of Justice na kailangan ng batas. Ayan ‘yung pinag-aaralan ngayon sa IATF,” she said.

(Of course, we will heed the statement of the DOJ that a law is needed to implement it. The IATF is looking into this.)

3-day national vaccination drive

Meanwhile, Vergeire said the DOH is not drafting the operational guidelines for the three-day "national vaccination" drive against COVID-19.

“Ito ay plinano na ng vaccine cluster. Nasa initial coordination stage na sila dahil hindi ito basta DOH lang at saka ‘yung vaccine cluster,” she said.

(This was already planned by the vaccine cluster. They are at the initial coordination stage because it doesn't just involve the DOH and the vaccine cluster.)

“This will involve a whole of government activity kung saan lahat ng government agencies are being mobilized to join in para ma-reach 'yung targeted 5 million jabs per day... nothing is final yet, operational guidelines are being drafted,” she added.

Vergeire urged both private and public healthcare workers to join in the drive.

Galvez said the government is eyeing to administer at least 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines before the end of November.

The Philippines on Thursday logged 1,766 new COVID-19 cases, marking the second consecutive day where less than 2,000 cases were reported.—AOL, GMA News