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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Locsin: Can we all shut up and focus on PH vaccination?

Locsin: Can we all shut up and focus on PH vaccination?

Published Mar 13, 2021 09:54 am

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. asked everyone to keep their mouths shut as the government focused on vaccinating health workers against the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) even as critics hit the Duterte administration for being late in the game.

(Photo by MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Locsin made the statement after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that every Canadian would be vaccinated by the end of September this year.

In a tweet, Locsin hit critics of the government, saying even Canada would only be able to vaccinate its entire population in the third quarter of the year.

"Even great Canada will be ready for all Canadians only in September and they over-ordered," he said early Saturday.

"So can we all shut up and focus on vaccinating the most exposed namely nurses and other medical workers?" he added.

The government rolled out its vaccination plan on March 1. The Philippines is currently vaccinating healthcare workers with at least a million doses of vaccines from the Chinese government and the COVAX Facility.

In his tweet, Locsin said the country should focus on vaccinating the medical frontliners first before moving to the military.

"The military can wait. They are disciplined enough to follow protocols," he said.

The National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) placed top priority on immunizing healthcare workers followed by senior citizens and persons with comorbidities. Frontline personnel, including the men in uniform, will be next in line.

The Chinese government has donated 600,000 CoronaVac shots to the Philippines, 100,000 of which were allocated for the military.

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