25M ‘most vulnerable’ eyed for inoculation by September

MANILA – The government is targeting to complete the inoculation of up to 25 million “most vulnerable” individuals by September.

National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. said healthcare workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities are among those eyed for inoculation within the year.

“So ito po ‘yung target po natin. Sinasabi po natin na we should have a better Christmas this year. So ginagawa po natin ‘yung strategy natin na pagka-nakuha na po natin, Mr. President, ang 25 million, ito na po ‘yung pinaka-vulnerable (So this is what we are targeting. As we are saying, we should have a better Christmas this year. So we are doing the strategy, Mr. President, to get the 25 million who are the most vulnerable sectors),” Galvez told President Rodrigo Duterte in a Cabinet meeting Monday night at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City.

The priority groups are the most vulnerable to the disease, death, and hospitalization, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Kung makuha po natin ‘yun, mako-contain po natin ang ating tinatawag na death and also ‘yung mga fatalities (If we get that, we can now contain deaths and fatalities),” he said.

After the “low target” of 25 million, the government hopes to reach the higher aim of 58 to 70 million Filipinos inoculated by November to achieve herd immunity, Galvez added.

Eventually, the country hopes to vaccinate 110 million Filipinos, including children, by the second quarter of 2022, to contain Covid-19 infections.

“This is what we call prevent and containment (strategy),” Galvez said.

The government has so far deployed 4,009,880 doses of Covid-19 jabs to 3,410 active hubs nationwide.

A total of 2,409,235 have been vaccinated, of which 1,181,834 are healthcare workers, 436,100 senior citizens, and 331,150 persons with comorbidities.

The data also include 8,881 economic front-liners who have been inoculated during the government’s May 1 Labor Day tribute and second doses.

Galvez also announced that the A4 (other front-liners in essential sectors) and A5 (indigent) priority lists will be vaccinated starting June.