The government was urged by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to “intensify” its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination efforts to ensure that more Filipinos will be protected by the deadly virus.
“The government really has to intensify its immunization efforts, also because 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca are set to expire next month,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard J. Gordon said in a statement issued Saturday, May 15.
“We might lose a lot of vaccines and leave a lot of Filipinos still unprotected from the virus,” he added.
Meanwhile, PRC expressed readiness to mobilize its 103 chapters nationwide to vaccinate Filipinos against COVID-19.
This, Gordon said, aims to significantly increase the national government’s latest 7-day average of 67,780 vaccinated individuals.
PRC, Gordon said, is “willing and ready to help the government to reinforce our defense against the virus by vaccinating our people.”
As the typhoon season nears, Gordon stressed that “we need to make hay while the sun shines and reach the most vulnerable even in geographically isolated areas.”
To help significantly increase the national government’s vaccination efforts, the PRC said that it is also negotiating for its own supply of COVID-19 vaccines as it offers vaccine administration services to private groups.
“We will continue to work with the national government and restarting our economy can begin in earnest,” Gordon added.