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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider FICCI recommends focusing COVID-19 vaccination program in NCR, nearby areas

FICCI recommends focusing COVID-19 vaccination program in NCR, nearby areas

Published May 21, 2021 01:41 pm

A senior citizen inoculated with AstraZeneca COIVD -19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Paranaque City on Monday, April 05, 2021. (Ali Vicoy/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Phils. Inc. (FICCI) has recommended to the government to initially focus the COVID-19 vaccination program in the National Capital Region (NCR) and its surrounding areas.

The FICCI made the suggestion as Metro Manila and its nearby areas are the center of the country’s economic activity.

“We most humbly recommend to our leaders to initially focus on the National Capital Region and surrounding areas in the vaccination effort,” the group said in a statement.

“NCR is the heart of our economy given that 70 percent of all warehouses of goods, both essential and non-essential, are located in NCR+ which then supplies the entire country. A great majority of head offices of service industries are all in the NCR+ areas which in turn provide such services nationwide,” it added.

The FICCI said that it is important to achieve herd immunity first in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas.

“Achieving a 70 percent vaccination rate in NCR+, will achieve herd immunity much faster in the area which will in turn allow a faster jump starting of our economy that will inure to the benefit of the entire country,” it said.

“Immediately after that, we can deploy NCR+ resources to our other regions and then achieve herd immunity as a country. This will ensure that our health facilities are no longer overwhelmed, and our already very exhausted healthcare workers are given their much-needed respite from the daily COVID wars they fight in order to save lives,” it added.

The group said their suggestion “do not in any way intend to leave behind the rest of the country” in terms of vaccination.

“We firmly believe that this proposed ‘buhos’ strategy will help us achieve national herd immunity faster than if we continue vaccinating all areas, thereby spreading our human resources and vaccines thinly given limited supply due to international supply chain disruptions,” the FICCI said.

The FICCI also urged the government to “standardize” the vaccination cards across the country.

“A standardized vaccination or bacuna card will ensure proper control and uniformity in the many uses this card will have moving forward. Having too many different cards will cause confusion and undermine the authenticity of such cars and may even allow fake cards to proliferate,” it said.

Related Tags

covid-19 vaccination program Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Phils. Inc. (FICCI)
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