June 03, 2021
published at 2:35 AMReuters
Health workers encode information and prepare vaccines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at a mobile vaccination site in Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines, May 21, 2021.
Reuters
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to the public on Wednesday (June 2) to get vaccinated against Covid-19, after data showed the government was far behind its immunisation targets as it battles one of Asia s worst and longest-running outbreaks. I invite all our countrymen to be vaccinated at the earliest possible opportunity because this is the most, if not the only way, effective way, to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic, Duterte said in a televised address.
The Department of Health (DOH) clarified on Thursday, June 3, that only nine percent of COVID-19 vaccine recipients in the country missed their second dose. “According to the National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center, actual numbers show that nine percent of people have deferred their second
SunStar
File June 03, 2021
(UPDATED) Over a million individuals who have received their first dose of a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) have missed their second dose, according to an epidemiologist of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
In his presentation during a town hall on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, Dr. John Wong said this can be ascribed not only to vaccine hesitancy but also lack of access to the vaccines.
“We know that some of these people want the vaccine but they can’t access it.From vaccine hesitancy issue, we also have to address access issues,” he said.
Hesitancy is not the only reason why the Philippines' vaccination program is currently below target but this is also driven by the low supply of doses available, an epidemiologist explained Wednesday.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III clarified on Thursday that only 9% of COVID-19 vaccine recipients missed their schedule for the second dose, contrary to an expert’s earlier statement that half of inoculated individuals missed their second shot.