PMA exec asks candidates to encourage supporters to get COVID-19 jabs

The Philippine Medical Association on Thursday called on the candidates for the 2022 elections to encourage their supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before attending campaign sorties.

During a Laging Handa briefing, PMA president Dr. Benito Atienza said candidates should primarily think about the vulnerable children when they conduct big rallies as they are yet to return to schools.

“Lalong-lalo na sa mga pulitiko, ‘wag nating sayangin ang pagkakataon. Maganda na po tayo ngayon. Hintayin po nating makapasok ang ating mga bata, mabakunahan ang mga bata kasi ang ina-ano ko diyan, sana ang mga bata ang iniintindi nila ‘wag ‘yung mga rally rally kasi hindi pa nakakapasok sila. Sila ‘yung vulnerable,” he said.

(I hope the candidates would not waste the opportunity. We are in a better situation now. Let us wait for the children to get vaccinated and return to school. I hope they would think of the children first before the rallies because they are vulnerable.)

“Dapat bago umattend ng rally, pabakunahan ang mga anak, magpa-booster kayo. Sana ganon ang ina-ano ng mga pulitiko. Magpabakuna kayo. Tanungin sa (rallies), ‘Sino na ang nagpabakuna diyan?’ Kasi ang mga pulitiko, dapat ‘yan ang tumulong,” he added.

(I hope they would require people to get themselves boosted and their children vaccinated before they attend rallies. They should ask in their campaigns who are those already vaccinated. The politicians should be the ones helping in this.)

With the campaign period for candidates for the House of Representative and other local elective posts set to begin on Friday, March 25, Atienza said he expects that more candidates will go house-to-house, therefore people should be wary as the infections might spread.

He thus reminded candidates and public alike to continue observing the minimum public standards in campaign trails so as not to cause superspreader events.

Atienza also warned that many countries still experience COVID-19 surges, and the Philippines is not spared from it.

“‘Wag nating hintayin na magkaron ulit ng surge bago kayo magpa-booster o bago magpabakuna kasi marami pa pong part ng mamamayan natin ang hindi pa nababakunahan pa rin,” he said.

(Let’s not wait for us to experience another surge for you to get inoculated or boosted because many of our people remain unvaccinated.)

OCTA Research said Thursday the Philippines has remained under the “very low risk” category for COVID-19 as neighboring countries like Vietnam, Singapore, and Brunei experienced a “severe outbreak” of infections.

As of March 21, DOH reported there were 65.2 million Filipinos now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while more than 70.4 million individuals received their first dose.

There were also around 11.6 million individuals who are already boosted against the viral disease.

The government is eyeing to fully vaccinate 90 million by the time President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office on June 30.—AOL, GMA News