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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOH in favor of mandatory vaccination for selected sectors

DOH in favor of mandatory vaccination for selected sectors

Published Nov 5, 2021 03:16 pm

Vaccination of higher education personnel (Photo from CHED)

The Department of Health (DOH) expressed its support to proposals making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, but only for specific sectors.

“One of the things that we are looking at, we will never achieve yung immunity na kailangan ng population natin kung may mga sector sa society natin na hindi mababakunahan (One of the things that we are looking at, we will never achieve the immunity that our population needs if there are sectors in our society that remain unvaccinated),” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Friday, Nov. 5.

“So isa po sa tinitignan natin na paraan (So one of the ways we're looking at) is to make it mandatory,” she said.

Vergeire said that members of the government’s pandemic task force are currently studying this measure.

“Of course, we will heed to that statement of the Department of Justice Secretary (Menardo) Guevarra na kailangan ng batas. Ayan yung pinag-aaralan ngayon with IATF (that there needs to be a law. That is what is being studied now with IATF),” she said.

“But, if we are going to have this as mandatory for specific sectors only, DOH will also support this because we need this so that we can achieve population protection,” she added.

On Thursday, Nov. 4, National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that he is also supporting the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in the country.

3-day national vaccination drive

Also, the government is currently drafting the guidelines for the COVID-19 national vaccination drive which will be held in three days, said Vergeire.

Vergeire said that they are currently coordinating with the private sector and medical groups for this vaccination activity.

“Ito ay plinano na ng vaccine cluster. Nasa initial coordination stage na sila dahil hindi ito basta DOH lang at saka yung vaccine cluster (This is already planned by the vaccine cluster. They are in the initial coordination stage because it is not just DOH and the vaccine cluster),” said Vergeire.

“This will involve a whole of government activity kung saan lahat ng government agencies are being mobilized to join in para ma-reach yung (where all government agencies are being mobilized to join in order to reach the) targeted five million jabs per day... nothing is final yet, operational guidelines are being drafted,” she added.

Galvez announced on Thursday, Nov. 4, that the government is set to hold a National COVID-19 Vaccination for three days this month.

Related Tags

covid-19 Department of Health (DOH)
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