The conduct of special Covid-19 vaccination days called ‘PinasLakas Bakunahang Bayan’ is extended until Saturday, Oct. 1, ,the Department of Health (DOH) said.
The DOH said this is to “compensate for the postponement of the campaign” in Luzon due to Super Typhoon Karding.
The implementation of special vaccination days is recommended to resume on Sept. 27 “upon the discretion of the concerned regional directors in coordination with the LGU (local government unit) counterparts,” the DOH said.
“Nagpalabas kami kahapon ng (Yesterday, we issued a) Department Memorandum wherein we already have lifted the suspension in the affected areas in this PinasLakas Bayan and we are going to extend it until Oct. 1,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
“This one week campaign aims for us to intensify our efforts further para mas maitaas. May targets tayo na gusto natin marating ukol dito sa isang linggo na ito (to raise . We have targets that we want to reach for this one week ),” she added.
More than 66,000 individuals received their first booster shot during the first day of the special vaccination program on Monday, Sept. 26, said Vergeire.
“Kahapon po (Yesterday), we were able to accomplish 66,576 who have received their first booster shots in Visayas and Mindanao only,” said Vergeire.
“Meron din inclement weather sa ibang bahagi ng Visayas kaya yung iba hindi rin masyado nakapag push through na pangmaramihan for vaccination (There was also inclement weather in other parts of the Visayas, so other areas have not been able to push through in providing more vaccines),” she added.
To note, the PinasLakas Bakunahang Bayan was launched on Monday, Sept. 26, and was supposed to end on Sept. 30. On Sunday, Sept. 25, the DOH postponed the program’s launch in Luzon due to Super Typhoon Karding.
Due to low uptake of first booster shots, this Covid special vaccination drive was launched by the DOH in order to reach at least 30 percent of individuals—who are already eligible to receive the first booster dose— by Oct. 8 or the 100th day of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in office.
As of Sept. 20, there were 18.8 million people who have already received their first booster shot, which is equivalent to 24 percent of the eligible population.