Gov’t to focus on 6 regions during 3-day vaccination drive —Galvez

The government will focus on the inoculation of individuals against COVID-19 in six regions during the national vaccination drive from November 29 to December 1, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Monday.

Galvez said these are Calabarzon, Central Luzon, the Bicol Region, the  Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Soccskarsargen, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

“So ang concentration natin is Region IV-A, Region III, and also ‘yung regions na mababa— ‘yung BARMM, Region V, Region XII, and Region IX,” Galvez told CNN.

(So our concentration is Region IV-A, Region III, and also regions with low vaccination rates such as BARMM, Region V, Region XII, and Region IX.)

According to Galvez, the government seeks to vaccinate 3 million individuals in Calabarzon and the Bicol Region.

“Ang inuuna po natin talaga, ang pinakamalaking unvaccinated dito sa Region IV-A at saka sa Region III, 5 million more or less. So ang target namin sa Region IV-A at saka sa Region III is 3 million for the whole three-day vaccination,” he said.

(What we are really prioritizing is Region IV-A and Region III which has around 5 million unvaccinated. So we seek to vaccine 3 million for the three-day vaccination.)

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, National Task Force Against COVID-19 medical adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa said there are areas outside NCR where only  35% to 40% of their eligible population have been fully vaccinated.

“However, ‘yung ibang lugar outside NCR, ‘yun ang medyo nasa 35% to 40% lang ang fully vaccinated. ‘Yun ang kailangan natin mataas to 50%. ‘Yan ang rason bakit naglunsad tayo ngayong araw nung ating Bayanihan Bakunahan,” he said.

(However, in some areas outside NCR, only 35% to 40% are fully vaccinated. We need to increase that to 50%. This is the reason why we launched Bayanihan Bakunahan today.)

Galvez said vaccinators from the National Capital Region have been sent to help with the vaccinations in the said regions.

The Philippines earlier in the day rolled out its COVID-19 vaccination drive, seeking to inoculate at least 9 million individuals by December 1.—AOL, GMA News