THE Department of Health (DoH) remains committed to reach the 77 million target for fully-vaccinated Filipinos through focusing in lowperforming areas and increased pediatric vaccination.

The Philippines has so far fully vaccinated 69.1 million Filipinos, or 76.7 percent of the targeted population. The government has set June 30 as its date when the socalled target is going to be reached.

In a briefing on Friday, Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center chief Myrna Cabotaje said that through their special vaccination drive held on May 11 to 13, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was able to increase its vaccine take-up, with one area able to vaccinate 500 individuals in one day.

She added that they are now holding “microplanning” sessions in areas such as in Quezon, Palawan, Masbate, Negros and the entire Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), where vaccine coverage remained low.

“We will look at how to improve these areas with low vaccination,” Cabotaje added.

She also stressed that they will also increase the vaccination takeup in children ages 5 to 11 years old in coordination with the Department of Education and local government units.

She also said that more people are now getting vaccinated for the second booster dose after it was expanded to the A1 or health care workers and A2 or senior citizens.

As of May 26, around 171,800 individuals have already taken their second booster shot, including 83,000 senior citizens and 36,000 health workers.

Cabotaje also said that the global Covax Facility is also prepared to exchange around 34 million doses of vaccines that are near expiring in the government stockpile, including donated and procured vaccines.

She also said that the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is prepared to hand over the documents and other relevant issues to the future administration, including the next Health secretary who is the chairman of the IATF.

“We [are] just waiting for the directions of the next administration... We will also defer to who will be appointed as the next secretary... It is up to the next administration on how their direction will be, whether they will create an inter-agency unit, continue the National Task Force [Against Covid-19], or create a new structure,” Cabotaje said.

In a related story, the DoH, together with Johnson & Johnson, University of the Philippines Manila College of Public Health, and the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Office-Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network Philippines have forged a partnership to scale up vaccination efforts among children and the elderly through a webinar held on Friday.

Program Director for National Immunization Dr. Kim Patrick Tejano said the pandemic has ushered an increase in susceptible children who are yet to receive routine immunization due to the prioritization of Covid-19 services and challenges with quarantine restrictions in the country.

Tejano said that they are now increasing routine immunization activities through the Bakuna Wednesdays program and reaching people through house-to-house vaccinations.

Dr. Erwin Benedicto, head of medical affairs for J&J Philippines, hopes that their webinar will decrease the vaccine hesitancy in the country through their information campaigns that advocate the message that “vaccination is vital in preventing outbreaks,”