Coronavirus: Rodrigo Duterte urges public to get vaccinated after Philippines misses targets; Vietnam resumes flights
- ‘Let us all keep in mind that the vaccine will not only protect you from the virus, it will also protect your loved ones,’ Philippine president said
- Meanwhile, Vietnam’s health minister said Russia has agreed to provide it with 20 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V this year
“I invite all our countrymen to be vaccinated at the earliest possible opportunity because this is the most, if not the only way, effective way, to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic,” Duterte said in a televised address.
“Let us all keep in mind that the vaccine will not only protect you from the virus, it will also protect your loved ones, especially the sick and elderly.”
John Wong, a data analyst on the government’s coronavirus task force, said that in the three months since early inoculations started, just 14 per cent of senior citizens and 8 per cent of people with health conditions had received first doses of a vaccine, short of the 21 per cent target.
Wong attributed the slow roll-out to limited vaccine supplies, vaccine hesitancy and accessibility problems.
“Some people want the vaccine but cannot access it. We need to address access issues,” Wong said.