PH to start vaccination drive, Filipinos hesitant to get vaccinated
The Philippines is now set to start its COVID-19 vaccination rollout, over a year after its first reported case.
Today, March 1st, the country is launching its vaccination drive with the 600,000 doses of China-donated Sinovac’s CoronaVac. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also announced that 525,600 AstraZeneca vaccine doses earlier scheduled will be delayed for “about a week,” owing to a “global supply problem.’
The health department targets to vaccinate at least 50 million to 70 million Filipinos by the end of the year, just enough to reach the recommended 60% to 70% of the population that scientists estimated was needed to reach herd immunity.
However, the majority of Filipinos are hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In a recent survey conducted by Octa Research Group, only 19% of Filipino respondents said they’re willing to get vaccinated.
