Senators back 3-day ‘National Vaccination Day’

Senators on Tuesday welcomed the three-day ‘National Vaccination Day’ being initiated by vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. to help the government reach its target of inoculating 50 million Filipinos against the dreaded coronavirus before the end of the year.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson lauded the program saying that achieving herd immunity will help the country’s economy get back on its feet.

“A three-day national vaccination drive is a welcomed development for us to finally achieve herd immunity and hopefully, more. The Filipino people are aiming for the economy’s reopening because it will alleviate the country from poverty, hunger, unemployment, closing of businesses and debt,” Lacson said in a message to reporters.

“Late is never too late as long as it is for the greater good of the Filipino people,” he added.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto likewise agreed to the idea saying he backs the government’s efforts to fast-track the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines.

At the Laging Handa press briefing on Monday, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government is considering holding the three-day  National Vaccination Day on  29 November to 1 December targeting at least five million Filipinos.

Galvez added that the government will conduct house-to-house vaccination and clustering to reach its “ambitious” target and will use public schools and gyms as vaccination sites.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, for his part, also commended the mass immunization program and reiterated that the government should not create vaccination-related policies that would “subtract” the mobility and rights of those who do not want to get inoculated.

“Drives and other activities to promote voluntary vaccination are always welcome. Let us pursue the ‘vaccination of the willing’. Let us add benefits to those who want or get the vaccination,” Pimentel told reporters. “Let us not subtract from the benefits already being received by the people. Let the people, vaccinated or not, continue to receive the benefits being given to them even before the pandemic. No to subtraction, yes to addition!”