As part of efforts to make vaccination accessible, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will roll out a mobile COVID-19 inoculation drive at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) next week.

Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said at least 500 doses of anti-COVID jabs are being eyed to be distributed during the "We Vax as One: Mobile Vaccination Drive" from Jan. 24 to 28.

The five-day activity aims to give AstraZeneca vaccines as first, second, or booster doses for commuters and transport workers. Those receiving their booster shots will be prioritized.

"Mahalaga po para sa atin na masigurong bakunado ang ating mga bayaning transport workers, lalo na at iba't-ibang lugar ang kanilang pinupuntahan, gayundin ang ibang stakeholders at mga commuters na kanilang nakakasalamuha sa araw-araw," Tugade said.

According to the DOTr, interested individuals will have to proceed to Gate 4 at the PITX second floor starting 8 a.m. up to 12 noon. Walk-in vaccinees will also be accepted as registration can be done onsite.

To recall, the DOTr led a vaccination drive for transport workers for six consecutive weeks also at the PITX that started July 31 last year

Public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, conductors, and other transport workers were able to get inoculated during last year's program dubbed as "TsuperHero: Kasangga ng Resbakuna" which was done in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), the Mega Manila Consortium Corporation (MMCC), the Parañaque City government, and PITX.

For that event, the MMCC converted five buses of which three were used to inoculate at least 1,000 transport workers every Saturday to reach the minimum target of 6,000 vaccinees.

The Parañaque City government, meanwhile, provided the first batch of vaccines for the program while the remaining doses needed were allocated under the national government's nationwide vaccination program.