PH to tap Israeli health experts for vax program

The Philippines will consult with three experts from Israel's Ministry of Health to enhance its COVID-19 vaccination program.

The Israeli experts are scheduled to arrive on June 20 to discuss vaccine deployment strategies, address vaccine hesitancy, and facilitate the transition to a new normal.

This initiative is inspired by Israel's successful vaccination campaign, which allowed them to lift outdoor mask mandates.

The Philippines is considering adopting Israel's strategy of providing incentives for vaccinated individuals and imposing restrictions on those who are unvaccinated.

This proposed intervention aims to increase vaccine uptake by allowing vaccinated individuals more mobility and a quicker return to normalcy, while unvaccinated individuals will continue to adhere to quarantine protocols.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. also expressed support for incentives offered by local government units (LGUs) to encourage more Filipinos to get vaccinated, noting that such measures have already shown improvement in public uptake.