SAFETY NET. Two market vendors receive their initial Sinovac shots during the vaccination for the A4 priority group at the Mega Tent 1 of Mandaluyong City Hall on Monday (June 7, 2021). The A4 group includes economic front-liners and uniformed personnel. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)
MANILA – Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday cited the massive efforts exerted by local government units (LGUs) to make sure those who missed their second Covid-19 vaccine shots will complete their protection.
In a television interview, Galvez said he is aware of how LGUs have been crafting strategies to encourage their constituents to go back for the second dose.
"Talagang kinukulit nila through telephone calls and at the same time, pinupuntahan po sa bahay and I believe 'yung 113,000 po na yun, I am very confident na makukuha po ng mga LGU natin (LGUs are really insistent that they avail of the second dose through telephone calls or even going house-to-house visits and I believe those 113,000 vaccinees, I am very confident that LGUs would be able to get them fully vaccinated)," Galvez said in an interview with news channel CNN Philippines.
The 113,000 who have yet to get their second doses, he said, are being enticed through LGU incentives like raffling off prizes or assistance in different forms.
"We are hoping that through our moral suasion, we will encourage 100 percent to get their second doses," he said. "We hope that we will bring down the number of those people who did not get their second dose into a very minimal figure of less than 5 percent."
The Department of Health also said it will strengthen its monitoring system to determine why some failed to get their second vaccine shots.
The usual reasons cited are medical issues, like testing positive for Covid-19 after getting their first doses. (PNA)
