HE HAS said it once before, and President Duterte is saying it again, given the new threat to the nation of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. We refer to mandatory vaccination of citizens.
The Chief Executive has expressed his willingness to support a policy on mandatory vaccination, saying he could compel everyone to get jabbed under the police power of the state. He said he may agree with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) if it recommends the policy since the inoculation against COVID-19 is meant to protect public health.
IATF spokesman and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said members of the task force are considering the proposal.
"As long as we are seeing the continuous massive vaccination, we’re seeing one million vaccinees per day. Our target is three million (persons) per day, then hopefully, there might not be a need for that if realistically on the ground many are getting vaccinated," Nograles said.
However, the three-day Bakunahan did not reach its target of 3 million individuals a day, as vaccine hesitation is still a predominant challenge in many parts of the country, especially in the rural areas, economically and educationally depressed places.
The Malacanang spox is correct in pointing out that we have to consider the presence of a new variant of concern, the Omicron. Therefore, there is an urgent need to balance the police power of the state and the public health and safety of all Filipinos.
Nograles said mandatory vaccination will need a new law to be enforceable. So be it, let Congress pass such a law. It is the ultimate weapon that we have to put an end to this pandemic.