Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Wednesday, April 13 stressed how critical faster vaccine rollout is in accelerating the country’s return to normalcy following reports that some age groups and regions in the Philippines still have poor vaccine coverage.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Go expressed concern over the recent report of the National Task Force Against Covid-19 during the ‘’Talk to the People’’ address of President Duterte on April 11, which revealed that only 34.13 percent in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been inoculated against Covid-19, the lowest among all regions.

The senator from Davao renewed his call to the national and local government officials to ramp up their vaccination efforts and step up their information campaigns on the benefits of vaccines, especially in BARMM and regions such as Region IV-B and Region XII, where less than 70 percent of the target population have received their first dose.

In contrast, National Capital Region (NCR) has already reached 111.11 percent of its target population for the first dose while Region I and Region II have recorded 88.03 percent and 85.38 percent, respectively. These three regions have the highest turnout in the country.

Go emphasized the need for more localized education and outreach efforts to build up public trust and combat vaccine hesitancy in the grassroots, echoing President Duterte’s call to local officials, particularly in BARMM, to ensure that Covid-19 vaccination rate in their respective regions will pick up in the weeks ahead.

“Kung kailangang suyurin ang bawat bahay sa mga pinakaliblib na lugar sa bansa ay gawin natin...Hindi man natin mapilit ang lahat na magpabakuna, dapat may sapat na kaalaman at insentibo ang mga tao para hindi na sila mag-alinlangan pa dahil bakuna talaga ang tanging susi o solusyon para malampasan ang pandemya (If we have to go house-to-house in the far-flung areas of the country, let’s do it...We cannot compel everyone to get the vaccine, the people has to have the knowledge and incentive so they will not doubt that the vaccine is the only key or solution for us to overcome the pandemic),” he earlier stressed.

Noting that except for Metro Manila, all other regions failed to breach 20 percent of their target population to be boosted, the senator added, “Isulong din natin ang pagbibigay ng booster shots sa mga nakakumpleto na ng kanilang bakuna... Ang booster dose ay karagdagang proteksyon laban sa Covid-19. (We will also push for the provision of booster shots for the fully vaccinated individuals...The booster dose is an additional protection against Covid-19). Mismong si Pangulong Duterte ang nagbigay-diin hinggil sa halaga ng booster shots, lalo na para sa pagkontrol ng pagkalat ng nakakahawang variants (President Duterte himself emphasized the importance of booster shots, especially in preventing the spread of the contagious variants),’’ Go added.

The same NTF report showed that although fully vaccinated Filipinos and those who have received their first dose are already at 74 percent t and 79.79 percent, respectively, only 17.29 percent have obtained their booster shot.

Moreover, since the national government commenced its pilot implementation of Covid-19 vaccination for children aged five to 11 years this February, only 17.69 percent in the said age group have been inoculated.

This prompted Go to likewise renew his appeal to the parents to allow their eligible children to get jabbed to boost their immune systems and ensure that they will be physically healthy by the time they go back to face-to-face classes.

Meanwhile, as Christians across the world reflect on the death of Jesus Christ – the ultimate sacrifice He paid as the price of humanity’s salvation this Lenten Season, Go reminded everyone to also remember the sacrifices of every Filipino frontliner and all those who continue to spearhead the fight against the global health crisis, even at the expense of their own lives.

The senator once again thanked and commended all the frontliners for their immeasurable sacrifices that saved countless lives amid the pandemic, saying, “Ipinapaabot ko ang aking walang sawang pasasalamat sa ating mga bayaning medical frontliners at mga kapwa kawani ko sa gobyerno. Nagpapasalamat po ako sa inyong sakripisyo para sa bayan (I am sending my endless gratitude to our heroes, the medical frontliners and my fellow workers in the government. I thank you for your sacrifice for the country).’’