MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur --The government will hold a targeted special vaccination drive in the Bangsamoro region in May to ramp up the inoculation coverage in the region.
This was announced in a meeting Tuesday, April 12, between the Ministry of Health, the Bangsamoro InterAgency Task Force on Covid-19, and their development partners to address the low vaccination rate in BARMM.
“Our vaccination rate is still low at 27.5% or 960,089 fully vaccinated individuals. We hope that these special vaccination days will address our low vaccination rate,” said MOH public information officer Saida Diocolano-Ali.
Ali said the MOH plans to administer the vaccine to 215,776 persons during the special vaccination drive.
The special vaccination days will kick off on March 5-7 in Marawi City. For Lanao del Sur, the inoculation is targeted for five days from May 16 to 20.
The Bangsamoro government is likewise planning to hold vaccination near or inside mosques.
The Darul Ifta, Bangsamoro's Islamic advisory council, has already released Religious Guidelines No. 32 allowing the conduct of vaccination in a specific room beside or at the back part of the mosque or the place of worship.
“Gathering in the places of worship is an opportunity for the vaccination team to have more to be vaccinated after performing their prayers," the guideline stated.
In the same guideline, the Darul Ifta reiterated the permissibility of vaccines as a life-saving and preventive measure against Covid-19 disease. It also reminded the faithful Muslims that vaccination does not invalidate fasting. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur with reports from Bangsamoro Information Office)
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