Govt extends Bayanihan, Bakunahan to March 18

The Philippine government is extending its fourth national COVID-19 vaccination drive, "Bayanihan, Bakunahan," until March 18 to boost vaccination coverage.

The drive was originally scheduled from March 10 to 12, with some regions initially extended to March 15.

As of March 11, the vaccination drive had administered 836,162 doses, falling short of its 1.8 million target.

Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje mentioned the extension is to maintain the momentum of healthcare workers and to further increase vaccination rates, particularly among senior citizens.

Various vaccination teams from LGUs, DOH, national government agencies, uniformed personnel, the private sector, and religious sector have exerted massive inoculation efforts.

Efforts to make vaccines accessible include house-to-house inoculations, jabs to job sites, "Bakuna nights," "Resbakuna sa Botika," and vaccination within church premises.

Despite these efforts, some individuals still opt not to avail of vaccines due to complacency, low active cases, hesitancy of the elderly, and fear of side effects.