The National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) assured equal attention will be given to jab rollouts nationwide as more Filipinos put their trust in government efforts.

NTF chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said all regions and provinces will have equal access to Covid-19 vaccines even as he welcomed the Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) June 23 to 26 poll, which showed that 68 percent of 1,200 adult Filipinos, majority of them Metro Manila residents, agree they have easy access (54 percent very easy and 14 percent somewhat easy) to Covid-19 vaccination sites.

“The results of the SWS survey also serve as an inspiration to the national government, local government units (LGUs), and the private sector to further improve their service delivery, and make sure that Filipinos have access to these life-saving vaccines through the thousands of vaccination sites across the country,” Galvez said in a statement on Thursday.

The survey likewise manifested the government’s successful efforts to reach out to the people, particularly those residing in high-risk and vulnerable areas, to get vaccinated with Covid-19 jab, he added.

The vaccine czar took note of the 29 percent of respondents who said they do not have access to vaccination sites.

“This figure is a reflection of the hard work, determination, and commitment of all sectors of society to ensure that the vaccines get into the arms of as many people as possible. However, much work also needs to be done so that the 29 percent who said they have no access to vaccination sites can be served,” he said.

More to be done

Galvez said there is “still a lot of room for improvement and expansion” that needed to be done in the country’s inoculation program such as vaccine deployment, handling, administration strategies, activation of more sites, and hiring additional vaccinators.

He explained that the vaccination program “was still gaining momentum” during the second quarter this year due to “limited vaccine deliveries at that time”.

“This is why we made sure that the deployment of the limited vaccine doses will be directed to those areas with the highest economic and social risks, as well as groups with the highest burden of disease, hospitalization, and death,” he said.

The survey was conducted when the country’s vaccine stockpile was at 17,457,810 jabs in June, “significantly lower” than the 25,482,580 doses received between July and August.

Galvez said the government expects an increase to the country’s cumulative vaccine inventory to up to 50 million doses within this month.

BETTER ACCESS: A 2021 second quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations shows that 68 percent of adult Filipinos have easy access to Covid-19 vaccination sites. The poll involved 1,200 adult respondents from June 23 to 26, 2021. (Photo courtesy of SWS)

Rising numbers

The average daily jab rate in June was at 179,605 doses and increased to 315,366 in July and 488,455 in August.

“It was in July when we started to receive a steady supply of larger vaccine shipments. As a result, LGUs were able to increase their capacities to inoculate beyond their initial daily targets,” he said.

LGUs and establishments also opened more vaccination sites.

Galvez cautioned that the survey result on the slow pace of vaccination may not reflect the current situation”, noting that in Metro Manila alone, over 230,000 jabs have been administered daily.

SWS showed the pace of vaccination was considered “slow” by 51 percent for their own barangay, 44 percent for their own city/municipality, and 50 percent for the Philippines”.

“This was achieved several times in August. And just this month, the country was able to administer around 700,000 jabs in a day twice,” Galvez said.

He said the use of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine for senior citizens and adults with comorbidities nationwide helped improved the vaccination program.

“To ensure the biggest impact, we gave the highest priority to those residing in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas nationwide,” he added.

Galvez said the NTF understands the need to improve the country’s pandemic response strategies and further boost the vaccination program.

“Yet, we believe that all of these efforts are still not enough. Based on our monitoring and evaluation, we have identified the areas in our vaccine program that need to be improved on, as we move closer to our goal of achieving herd immunity and soon expanding our inoculation program to the younger population,” he said.

The Philippines has a total of 42,940,390 doses of Covid-19 vaccines as of Wednesday.

Another 3 million doses of Sinovac jabs will be delivered Thursday afternoon. (PNA)