As the Philippines kicked off its COVID-19 vaccination program on Monday, a Catholic bishop called on the faithful to pray that more vaccines will be accessible to the people sooner.
“We pray that the next deliveries of vaccines will be speedy because it’s the lives of our people that are at stake here,” said Bishop Oscar Florencio of the bishops’ Commission on Health Care.
The Philippines has started inoculating health workers this week in a delayed vaccination campaign that was hampered by the failure to secure supplies.
Healthcare workers in six government hospitals in the capital region received Sinovac Biotech vaccines donated by China, the only doses the Philippines has received so far.
“You truly are the heroes during this time of the pandemic, so it is just right that you be the first in line to receive the vaccines,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque told health workers.
On Sunday, Bishop Florencio, who heads the Philippine military ordinariate, welcomed the arrival of the first batch of vaccines.
“I am happy with this development. At least this can ease our anxiety because we have the vaccines already,” he said.
He urged Filipinos “to be patient and continually pray that nothing adverse happen to those who have been inoculated.”
The Philippines has reported 576,352 COVID-19 cases overall, including infections with the more infectious British coronavirus variant. The country has recorded 12,318 deaths.
It aims this year to inoculate 70 million of its 108 million people to achieve herd immunity and reopen an economy that in 2020 saw its worst contraction on record.
The Philippines is playing catchup with its Southeast Asian neighbors despite having one of the region’s worst coronavirus problems.
It was the last to start its immunization program and has a challenge not only to ensure supply of vaccines, but to convince its people to take them, amid concerns over safety.
Carlito Galvez, a former military general who heads the government’s vaccine strategy, said the Philippines might not move forward unless everyone is immunized.
“It is our moral obligation,” said Galvez, who received his injection live on television and said the vaccines were “doses of hope.”
The government has been in talks with most major manufacturers of coronavirus vaccines for a combined 161 million doses but has struggled to conclude deals, while stiff competition has tightened supply.
The program’s launch has been delayed several times, with the latest setback a delay to the 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine that were supposed to arrive on Monday. – with a report from Reuters
