Philippines aims to vaccinate 9 million people in three days

Massive nationwide drive part of efforts to avoid possible surge due to Omicron variant

- Raul Dancel

The Philippines yesterday kicked off a massive three-day vaccination drive as it tries to head off a surge that the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus could cause.

“This is our single biggest push to fast-track vaccination and reaches our target of 70 per cent population protection nationwide,” said President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We will overcome this pandemic, and come out stronger and better as a nation,” he said during a visit to a vaccination site at a mall east of the capital Manila to officially start the campaign.

The countrywide sweep aims to vaccinate some nine million Filipinos, especially in rural and far-flung areas where vaccine access has been a problem and the level of vaccine hesitancy remains high.

The government is mobilizing over 100,000 volunteers and has set up some 8,000 vaccination centers across the country.

Mr Duterte has declared the three-day stretch as “special working days”, excusing people from work if they are going to get a jab.