PH eyes integration of Covid-19 vax into routine immunization

FILE: Customs personnel inspect the boxes containing 1,187,550 doses of Pfizer vaccine, procured by the national government, shortly after the arrival of the life-saving shots at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Thursday (Dec. 23, 2021). (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

MANILA – The Philippine government is looking to include the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine in the routine immunization to ramp up inoculation in certain areas with low jab uptake.

“During this transition period, the National Covid-19 Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) and vaccination sites will still continue with current operations in administering vaccines and boosters to the eligible population,” the Department of Health said in a statement on Saturday.

“NVOC is also reviewing existing policies to identify possible points for revision, one of which is the integration of Covid-19 vaccines to routine immunization,” it added.

The agency said “everything is status quo” until the next Health chief has been named or President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issues new directives.

At the moment, the DOH and NVOC will focus efforts to ramp up the rollout of vaccines and ensure that strategies to increase coverage are “tailor-fitted to best suit a given area or region”.

“We will inform the public of updated plans and programs and provide data updates once everything has settled down and has been accounted for,” the statement noted.

Based on the data from the National Task Force against Covid-19, more than 70 million have been fully vaccinated in the country while over 15 million already received their first booster dose as of June 26.