AFP medical teams roll out 3-day vax drive in remote areas

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 29, 2021): AFP medical teams roll out 3-day vax drive in remote areas (By Priam Nepomuceno)

Photo courtesy of NTF Against Covid-19

Medical teams of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are tasked to vaccinate residents in the so-called geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAS) for the three-day national vaccination days from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.

In a radio interview Sunday, Col. Fatima Claire Navarro, AFP Surgeon General, said 25 medical teams in various AFP unified commands would be deployed, apart from the 37 other teams tasked to provide manpower support to civilian medical units.

"Naitalaga sa amin na maipaabot ang bakuna sa ating mga kababayan na nasa lugar na tinatawag nating 'GIDAS' or geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas 'yan nga 'yung mga isla, kabundukan, 'yun pong kumunidad ng ating mga IPs (indigenous peoples) (We are assigned to deploy the vaccines to fellow Filipinos residing in 'GIDAS' or those living in islands, mountainous areas, and communities of our IPs)," she said.

Navarro said the teams would also haul medical supplies and materials for use in the vaccination campaign.

The national vaccination days, dubbed as “Bayanihan Bakunahan,” aims to administer 9 million jabs or a daily national throughput target of 3 million doses.

To achieve the goal of completely inoculating 54 million Filipinos by year-end, the government has set another three-day inoculation drive from Dec. 15 to 17.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1161202