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Philippines eyes 3-day vaccination drive to achieve 'merry Christmas': vaccine czar

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Gillan Ropero, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="College students of Our Lady of Fatima University Pampanga are inoculated against COVID-19 at the campus on October 13, 2021. Some 600 students are scheduled to receive their vaccines against COVID-19 on October 13 as the government gears up for limited face to face classes in select universities and public schools. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/10/31/20211013-covid-vaccine-olfu-pampanga-jc-5.jpg"/><figcaption>College students of Our Lady of Fatima University Pampanga are inoculated against COVID-19 at the campus on October 13, 2021. Some 600 students are scheduled to receive their vaccines against COVID-19 on October 13 as the government gears up for limited face to face classes in select universities and public schools. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The Philippine government is considering a 3-day vaccination drive in a bid to achieve a &quot;merry Christmas,&quot; the country&#x27;s vaccine czar said Thursday.</p><p>Government aims to inoculate some 5 million individuals during the &quot;National Vaccine Day&quot; program, according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.</p><p>It also aims to &quot;acclimatize&quot; towns and provinces to massive inoculation drives, Galvez said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/21/duterte-wants-lgus-punished-for-slow-covid-19-vaccination">Duterte wants local governments punished for slow COVID-19 vaccination</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Parang (It will be like) election day. We will stop on that day and lahat ng ating (all our) available healthcare workers, pediatricians, and dentists they will gather just to do the inoculations. All the agencies and private sector pull in their resources,&quot; he told ANC&#x27;s Headstart.</p><p>&quot;Ang initial coordination kahapon, more or less 3 consecutive days para nandun ang tinatawag nating momentum,&quot; he added without mentioning dates.</p><p>(The initial coordination yesterday, we will do it in more or less 3 consecutive days.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1819032" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>The Philippines aims to vaccinate 50 million individuals by yearend to reach its target of inoculating 70 percent of its population, according to Galvez.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/30/21/50m-fully-vaccinated-in-ph-doable-by-yearend-official">Gov&#x27;t says full COVID-19 vaccination of 50M in PH possible by yearend</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Gagawin natin vax to the max na tayo. At the same time magkakaroon na tayo ng house to house and also ang gagawin natin is by clustering,&quot; he said.</p><p>(We will do &#x27;vax to the max.&#x27; At the same time we will conduct house to house and vaccination by clusters.)</p><p>&quot;Ang target natin ngayong November 15 million to 20 million. Kung makuha ang 20 million this month kayang-kaya natin ang more than 50 million.&quot;</p><p>(Our target this month is to inoculate 15 million to 20 million. If we can achieve 20 million this month, we can inoculate more than 50 million.)</p><p>Government will also begin this month administering third doses and booster shots to priority sectors, Galvez said. </p><p>It is just waiting for the recommendation of the World Health Organization&#x27;s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts and the amendment of emergency use authorizations to include third doses or booster shots, Galvez added.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/21/ph-eyes-giving-covid-19-booster-third-jabs-by-nov-15">Philippines eyes administering COVID-19 booster, third shots by Nov. 15</a></li></ul><p>The country on Wednesday began the vaccination of all children aged 12 to 17, regardless of their health status.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/21/ph-starts-covid-19-vaccination-of-kids-aged-12-to-17">Philippines begins COVID-19 vaccination of kids aged 12 to 17</a></li></ul><p>Of 108 million vaccines that the country received, it still has 46 million in storage, according to Galvez.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung darating ng November and December it will be our stock for the first quarter. Kokonti lang ang expiring ng November,&quot; he said, noting that these have already been deployed.</p><p>(The supply we will receive this month and in December will be our stock for the first quarter. Only a few vaccines are expiring in November.)</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/28/21/near-expiry-covid-19-vaccines-already-deployed-says-doh">Near-expiry COVID-19 vaccines already deployed, says DOH</a></li></ul><p>Galvez believes the Philippines will have a &quot;happy Christmas this year.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Once we increase our capacity and vaccinate, at the same time iobserve ng ating kababayan ang minimum health standards and cases continue going down, I believe magkakaroon tayo ng merry Christmas,&quot; he said.</p><p>(Once we increase our capacity and vaccinate, at them same time the public observes minimum health standards and cases continue going down, I believe we will have merry Christmas.)</p><p>The Philippines has so far fully vaccinated 27.7 million individuals, while 32.7 million have received an initial dose as of Tuesday, according to government data.</p><div class="infogram-embed" data-id="_/yFVE69R1WlSdqY3aCsBF" data-title="COVID-19 VACCINE TRACKER PH" data-type="interactive"> </div><div><script type="text/javascript">!function(e,i,n,s){var t='InfogramEmbeds',d=e.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];if(window[t]&&window[t].initialized)window[t].process&&window[t].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var o=e.createElement('script');o.async=1,o.id=n,o.src='https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js',d.parentNode.insertBefore(o,d)}}(document,0,'infogram-async');</script></div>

The Philippine government is considering a 3-day vaccination drive in a bid to achieve a 'merry Christmas,' the country's vaccine czar said.

Philippines eyes 3-day vaccination drive to achieve 'merry Christmas': vaccine czar

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Philippines eyes 3-day vaccination drive to achieve 'merry Christmas': vaccine czar

Gillan Ropero,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 04, 2021 09:44 AM PHT

|

Updated Nov 04, 2021 10:03 AM PHT

Read More:

coronavirus

Philippines COVID-19 vaccination

COVID-19 vaccine

Headstart

Carlito Galvez

COVID-19

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