Former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday urged the Duterte administration to conduct house-to-house vaccinations for the coronavirus and increase its coverage just like what the local government units are doing to prevent the vaccines against COVID-19 from getting expired.
“Bring the vaccine to citizens, especially the seniors, the sick, and the disabled. Give the vaccines to the private sector, as has been suggested. Let them vaccinate their employees,” said Binay.
This developed as a congressional leader urged the national government and LGUs to include persons with disabilities (PWDs) with mobility impairments in its house-to-house vaccination program against COVID-19.
In filing House Resolution 1727, Rep. Alfred Vargas, chair of the House Committee on Social Services, noted that several local governments have rolled out house-to-house vaccination programs for bed-ridden residents and those with co-morbidities.
Binay also suggested that the LGUs and the private sector should be allowed to purchase vaccines directly without the need to go through the national government.
“Remove the red tape that is delaying the vaccination of the general population, especially the economic frontliners. On this matter, the national government should act quickly. Hindi pwede ang makupad (we can’t be slow),” he said.
On Wednesday, Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said the government should deploy more medical personnel to administer vaccines, especially since some experts had voiced their worry that the vaccines would go bad by June.
“The current pace of about 62,654 daily vaccination will certainly not make the Philippines attain the desired herd immunity at the end of the year; at this rate, it may be attained probably after six years or in May 2027,” he said.
“Based on available data, the vaccine supply now is at 7,764,050 doses, which is enough to fully inoculate about 3.57 percent of our population but at the rate, we are going now, the bulk of the vaccines may reach its expiration date in June and would just be wasted,” he added.
Dr. Tony Leachon, a former member of the Philippines COVID-19 panel, said the government should expedite its vaccination efforts and tap the help of the private sector before these vaccines expire in June.
“Average rates of vaccination in the past 7 days: super slow,” he said.
So far, the Philippines has vaccinated 2.4 million Filipinos, mostly senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and health workers.
In Manila, Mayor Francisco Domagoso criticized the national government, also for being “super slow” in the distribution of vaccines to LGUs.
“Now, for those who want to get Pfizer, we were just discussing and planning a while ago because the vaccine supply seems unreliable. The global supply is unreliable, and it’s unreliable here because it’s so slow. I’m telling you now: The deployment is not slow, it’s super slow,” he said.
Vargas, chair of the House committee on social services, praised this effort by the local governments of Quezon City and several others as an innovative way of bringing the vaccination program directly to the residents, especially those who are unable to go to vaccination sites.
“The house-to-house vaccination done by Quezon City and other LGUs is proof of the concern for our countrymen who find it difficult to go to vaccination centers. The national government must support and expand it so that more of our people can benefit,” he said.
Vargas said PWDs with mobility impairments should also be included in the program since they are “among those deprived of access to such public services that require them to leave their homes.”
“One of the sectors most affected by the pandemic is PWDs, especially those with mobility impairments. They are the ones who try to earn a living even with a disability but find it difficult to travel or get to other places. I suggest including them in house-to-house vaccination as well,” he said.
“In a time when persons with disabilities face great marginalization economically and socially due to the pandemic, it is high time we uplift their spirits and encourage vaccination amongst high-risk communities,” the Quezon City lawmaker said in his resolution.
Vargas stressed: “It is the duty of the government to ensure with urgency that our services for the people are made accessible especially for the marginalized and underprivileged.”
The resolution identifies PWDs with mobility impairment as those “who are unable to use one or more of his/her extremities, or lack the motor skills to walk, grasp, or lift objects.”
It also includes those who are bedridden, and who have suffered from stroke.
Vargas said PWDs with mobility impairments encounter difficulties in accessing necessary health services.
The national government has started its mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 with a list of priority groups that include health workers, senior citizens, and persons with co-morbidities.
Government has said it intends to inoculate up to 70 million of the population to achieve herd immunity by end of the year.