FILE PHOTO: Presidential Adviser on Peace Process, National Task Force against Coronavirus Disease-2019 (NTF COVID-19) chief implementer and vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. JOEY DALUMPINES/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. is now in favor of making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory in the country.
Galvez said Thursday that such a policy will ensure that the public will be safe from the severe respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
鈥淵es, I鈥檓 in favor. Nakita natin 鈥榶ung higher interest [of being vaccinated] in the pandemic. Everyone is not safe if everyone is not safe, meaning kapag lahat tayo vaccinated, doon lang tayo magkakaroon ng safety and protection,鈥� he said in an interview over ABS CBN 黑料社 Channel.
(We see that there is a higher interest in being vaccinated in the pandemic. We will only be safe when everyone is vaccinated.)
Galvez earlier thumbed down proposals to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, citing vaccine supply problems.
He, however, said a law should be enacted in order to enforce it.
鈥淭alagang we鈥檙e at risk if we will not vaccinate everybody and we鈥檒l have a sizable amount of 20 million people roaming around, those anti-vaxxers roaming around, it will threaten those that are vaccinated,鈥� Galvez said.
Malaca帽ang earlier said a law mandating COVID-19 vaccination is not needed just yet as the nation鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine supply has just started arriving in bulk last month.
Meanwhile, there was a push for mandatory vaccination of workers in certain sectors.