麻豆社

The Philippine government has begun a drive to vaccinate nine million people in three days. Only about a third of the population is currently vaccinated - 35 million out of a population of more than 100 million - and the drive is planned to coincide with a national holiday, targeting workers who would normally have been unwilling to take time off work to get their vaccine. Centres are reporting record turnouts, and another drive is planned for next month, provided supplies of syringes and the vaccine can be sourced, when children as young as five will be able to join the queues. Vaccine hesitancy was an issue earlier in the year, and coupled with limited supplies meant vaccine rates in the country were very low. Raffy Tima, a journalist based in Manila, reports.

Photo: A healthworker in the Philippines receives a Covid vaccination, November 2021 Credit: Reuters