Residents of San Juan City are inoculated with the Pfizer BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine at the FilOil Flying V Center on May 12, 2021. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - The Department of Health on Wednesday said the vaccination program for workers in essential industries and indigent families would initially be limited to those in Metro Manila and 8 other areas where COVID-19 cases remain high.
The expansion of the national government's inoculation program would first be rolled out in National Capital Region, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje told state television PTV.
"Ico-concentrate natin sa geographic areas kung saan nandoon 'yung surge ng cases," she said.
(We will concentrate the vaccination in geographic areas where there is a surge in cases.)
"Naka-focus muna sa NCR plus 8 [areas] kasi doon muna ang buhos natin [ng bakuna]," she said, noting that Metro Manila remains as the epicenter of COVID-19 in the country.
(We will first focus on NCR plus 8 areas because we have to pour vaccines in these areas.)
The DOH will also study suggestions to immediately inoculate officials who are facilitating the registration of voters, and who will man polling precincts in the 2022 national elections, she said.
The Philippines has reported 1.15 million COVID-19 cases since last year, nearly half of which were in Metro Manila.
The Philippines is pushing to inoculate at least 108,000 people daily for the capital region and other highly-developed areas to attain herd immunity by November, the official said.
So far, the Philippines has fully inoculated 786,000 people, with 2.51 million still waiting to receive their second dose, while the rest of the country's population has yet to be jabbed.
Courtesy of PTV
COVID-19, coronavirus, COVID-19 vaccination, Metro Manila, NCR, health, DOH, Myrna Cabotaje