Plan to set up vaccination sites in election centres opposed

MANILA: A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official said the plan of the Department of Health (DOH) to set up coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination sites inside or near the voting centers in the coming May 9 national needed “serious” study.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia told reporters the plan might “mislead” voters as he explained: “This might mislead our voters on the belief that vaccination is needed for the exercise of the right to suffrage.”

Garcia was reacting to a statement of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire that they were studying the possibility of puting up such COVID-19 vaccination sites to encourage more Filipinos especially take their booster sites.

Health experts pointed out the plan was a “last-ditch atempt” by the government to increase the vaccination rate mainly due to what has been observed as the lingering “vaccine hesitancy” among many Filipinos.

“The possibility of seting up COVID-19 vaccination sites inside voting centers or immediately outside is being discussed,” Vergeire told a media briefing.

But Vergeire also admited: “I think we might add to the crowding at the voting centers. But we can set up such centers in places near the voting precincts.”

In reaction, Garcia said the health department should first ask permission from the Comelec to set up such centers either inside or near the voting precincts as provided by law.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) reported that three regions have been showing a rise in COVID cases but assured that this was no cause for alarm.

The DOH said the three are the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas as well as Mimaropa, an acronym for the island provinces of Mindoro, Romblon and Palawan in Southern Luzon.

It noted a “positive growth rate” in COVID-19 cases in these areas in the past two weeks.

At the same time, the DOH said that based on its weekly bulletin for COVID-19 infections, 1,399 new cases were recorded from April 25 to May 1, or five per cent lower that the cases reported from April 18 to 24.