DOH exec: Vaccination in Odette-hit areas to continue after residents transfer in safer areas, evacuation sites

A Department of Health official on Monday said vaccination of residents affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette would resume once they have been relocated to safer areas such as evacuation sites.

At a press conference, Assistant Secretary Maria Francia Laxamana of the DOH's Field Implementation and Coordination Team said it is important for the individuals to get COVID-19 jabs to avoid transmission of the virus in evacuation facilities.

"Once these families have been relocated to safe places like sa evacuation center and they're ready to get vaccinated, we will push through with the vaccination even they are in the vaccination sites," Laxamana said.

"Kailangan po nating gawin ito dahil dikit-dikit po sila doon sa evacuation center," she added.

(We need to do this as they are crowded in vaccination centers.)

Testing czar Vince Dizon said the government does not want to "pressure" the local government units, which were hit by Typhoon Odette, to continue the vaccination process in their areas.

"Sa mga areas po ng Region VIII, Region VII, CARAGA, at iba pang parte ng IV-B tulad ng Palawan eh pinatemporarily ano muna natin, hindi muna natin sila pinepressure na magbakuna dahil napakabigat nang sinapit nila nitong mga nakaraang araw," Dizon said.

(We temporarily suspended the vaccination in Region VIII, Region VII, CARAGA, and other parts of Region IV-B like Palawan. We are not pressuring them because of what they had experienced in the past days.)

He said at present, the priority is the recovery of the affected provinces from the damages brought by Odette.

More than 1.8 million people were affected by Odette's onslaught, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has said.

The areas most affected by Odette were northeastern Mindanao, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Palawan. The Philippine Red Cross has reported "complete carnage" in coastal areas. — RSJ, GMA News