(PNA file photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)
MANILA – Pushing an incentivized vaccination program "is a good strategy" to encourage more people to avail of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 medical adviser, Dr. Ted Herbosa, said Wednesday.
“So actually, maganda iyon para ma-encourage at ma-incentivize ang mga mamamayan na magpa-booster na. Parang noong nag-alert level 3 tayo, pinigilan natin sumakay sa public transport iyong walang vaccination no. Iyon ang daming nagpabakuna noon actually. So, maganda iyong may mga ganoong pamamaraan na ma-incentivize ang ating mamamayan to get their vaccines (So actually, it’s good that people are encouraged and incentivized when they get booster doses. Remember when we were in alert level 3, we required vaccination in public transportation in public transportations, many people got vaccinated at that time. So it’s a good thing because we can incentivize our countrymen to get their vaccines), Herbosa said at the Laging Handa briefing.
To date, more than 65.6 million Filipinos have completed the two primary series of Covid-19 vaccines, including those who received single-dose Janssen and Sputnik Light jabs, with 11.68 million who have received booster shots, Herbosa said.
“If you look at the vaccination rate, we are now at 74 percent of the targeted population for vaccination,” he said.
Herbosa said 75 percent of senior citizens are also fully vaccinated.
“So, sana tuluy-tuloy nating maabot iyong ina-attain natin [na] almost 80 percent na mabakunahan para lalong makapagpaluwag pa tayo ng iba’t ibang restrictions sa Covid-19 (I hope it will continue until we can attain the almost 80 percent in the vaccination so that we can loosen some other restrictions against Covid-19),” he added.
Herbosa also encouraged local government units to hold a special vaccination day, especially those that are still lagging behind their vaccination coverage. (PNA)
