4th 'Bayanihan, Bakunahan' slated on 2nd week of March —DOH

The Department of Health is targeting to conduct the fourth wave of the “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” national vaccination drive in the second week of March, a top DOH official said Saturday.

“Initial na proposal week ng March 7. Gusto kasi ng ating mga principal, lalong lalo na si Secretary [Eduardo] Año, na mas mapaaga ang paggawa ng bakunahan para ma-reach ang ating mga senior at saka ang mga hindi pa nabakunahan,” Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(The initial proposal is the week of March 7, because the principals, especially Interior Secretary Año, want to start the vaccination at the earliest to reach our seniors and the unvaccinated ones.)

According to a Saturday "24 Oras Weekend" report, Cabotaje also said that there were plans to use Catholic Churches as vaccinations sites during this latest vaccination effort.

"Yung pakikipagtulungan natin sa Catholic Churches; they have agreed to use the churches as vaccination sites. Baka pwedeng Sabado at Linggo when there more people there," said the undersecretary.

On Thursday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced that the fourth wave of mass vaccination drive in March will prioritize senior citizens and children. 

Cabotaje said the government wants to prevent the occurrence of an outbreak, similar to the one currently happening in Hong Kong, in the country that is why authorities want to boost the inoculation drive and begin such at the earliest possible time.

The Health chief earlier said that they will increase efforts for the inoculation of the primary series for those who are not yet vaccinated, and the booster shots for those who have completed the three to six month requirement.

The government fell short of the five million target of the third wave of the Bayanihan, Bakunahan III national vaccination drive that ran from February 10 to 18, the DOH said.

Despite falling short of the target, the government will bring vaccination centers closer to the public and will also conduct house-to-house vaccination if possible, Cabotaje said.

Interviewed at the Laging Handa public briefing on Saturday, Cabotaje said as of February 25, 63 million Filipinos have so far been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or 70% of the targeted 90 million.

"In terms of our weekly performance, medyo mababa, nasa 300,000 to 500,000 per day pa lang tayo. So kailangan talagang pag-ibayuhin at [gumamit] ng ibang istratehiya para mapataas pa 'yung ating jabs per day," Cabotaje said.

(Our weekly performance was quite low at 300,000 to 500,000 jabs per day. We really need to double our efforts and use other strategies to increase our jabs per day.) —KG, GMA News