Gov't to extend special COVID-19 vaccination days in April —NVOC

The government will continue its targeted special vaccination days this month to ramp up the COVID-19 inoculation in specific areas and regions with still-low vaccination coverage, National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said on Sunday.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Health Undersecretary Cabotaje explained that the special vaccination days are a “variant” of the national vaccination days called "Bayanihan, Bakunahan.”

This will then determine which areas need “special help” in addressing their vaccination drive against the viral disease.

“Ang gagawin in April, titignan na talaga kung sino mga areas ang kailangan ng espesyal na tulong para ‘yung mga kalapit rehiyon o kalapit na probinsiya ay makatulong sa mga siyudad na medyo mahina ang kanilang bakunahan,” she said.

(What we will do in April is to look at which areas need special assistance so that the regions or provinces near them can help them regarding their low vaccination coverage.)

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier initiated the said special vaccination days in Cebu province, Davao region, and Cotabato City from March 29 to 31, and in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from March 30 to April 1.

Cabotaje on Thursday said COVID-19 vaccination in BARMM remains a challenge as it is “at the bottom of [the] list” having only about 26% or 940,000 out of the region’s target population of 3.5 million completing their primary vaccine series.

Based on the DOH’s national COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, at least 65.8 million Filipinos are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of March 30. Of this number, 64.3 million have received one dose, while 12 million have received booster shots.

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

The DOH on Saturday reported 373 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 3,678,968.

The Philippines’ active case count stood at 37,115. 

At least 3,582,529 individuals recovered from the disease, while the country’s death toll climbed to 59,324. —KG, GMA News