Gov’t plans to hold 4th 'Bayanihan, Bakunahan' on March 10-12

The Department of Health (DOH) plans to hold the fourth wave of the "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" national vaccination drive (NVD) from March 10 to 12, an official said Wednesday. 

At a Laging Handa briefing, Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said the vaccines will be distributed to homes and workplaces this time.

“Pupunta tayo sa mga workplaces. ‘Yung ating mga healthcare workers, dapat ma-booster, ‘yan ang paigtingin natin. ‘Yung ating mga workplaces, mga ecozones, mga national government agencies, doon tayo magfo-focus para mabigyan sila ng boosters ‘yung mga economic frontliners natin,” she said.

(We will go to our workplaces. We need to increase booster immunization rates among healthcare workers. We will also focus on ecozones and national government agencies to give boosters to our economic frontliners.)

Cabotaje noted that only 10 million people, or one third of the 36.7 million due for booster shots, have received them. 

She said that the "suyod" or house-to-house campaign is part of the government’s efforts to ramp up vaccinations, particularly in areas with low immunization rates. 

“Kitang kita ‘yan sa Region 1 at Region 2. Mataas ang kanilang NVD 3 at kanilang 70% vaccination rate at kanilang A2. Sa Region 1, all the provinces and cities have achieved their targets. Even Region 2, medyo sumabit lang ng konti sa Nueva Vizcaya, kasi mababa ‘yung kanyang vaccination rate. Many of the other municipalities also, nakikita na ‘yang suyod o nag-house to house,” she added.

(It's noticeable in Regions 1 and 2. In NVD 3, they had a high turnout and a vaccination percentage of 70%, including senior citizens. Except for Nueva Vizcaya, which has a low immunization rate, all provinces and cities in Regions 1 and 2 have achieved their targets. The house-to-house campaign was also visible in many municipalities.)

Further, Cabotaje said that several vaccines have expired due to their limited shelf life, but no particular data on how many could be provided at this time.

A total of 63,219,221 Filipinos have completed their primary vaccine series as of February 28, according to Malacañang.

At the end of the third wave of the Bayanihan, Bakunahan program, which ran from February 10 to 18, at least 3.5 million people had been vaccinated against COVID-19, falling short of the government's goal of five million. — VBL, GMA News