The imperatives of mass immunization

(Paminsan-minsan, nasusulat ako sa wikang Ingles. Bumabaybay ako sa wikang hiram sapagkat ito ang wika ng komersiyo, hukuman, diplomasya, edukasyon, at iba pang seryosong bagay. Malaking bilang ng mga manunulat, makata, mamamahayag, at dramatista ay nagsusulat sa wikang Ingles. Pagbigyan ninyo akong ibahagi ang aking isinulat na komentaryo sa wikang Ingles. Tungkol ito sa usapin ng bakuna.)

TWO things are to be considered in the envisioned nationwide mass immunization against Covid-19: first, it has to be depoliticized – completely, if possible; and second, the source of the vaccine has to be diversified, which means it should not be a monopoly of China.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez should take steps so that politicians, including the ones in the ruling coalition, should not use mass immunization as part of the run-up to the 2022 presidential polls. Because the program involves huge sums of state funds, Galvez should take all steps and it will not be a lucrative source of campaign funds. As much as possible, Galvez should not allow the program to be hijacked for partisan reasons.

Moreover, Galvez should take steps to diversify sources of the Covid-19 vaccines because it does not make sense that all vaccines would come from China as what Rodrigo Duterte has wanted. China is widely perceived as the origin of the destructive virus. Infected Chinese tourists brought them here. It does not make sense if China would be the sole source of the vaccines.

Furthermore, modern-day China has been perceived as a primary source of fake and counterfeit goods, including medicines and other medical preparations. It is globally perceived as a rogue state that has been violating with impunity those international copyright and patent laws to the detriment of Western countries and global entities that subscribe to the rules.

Depending on the availability of the ballyhooed vaccines, the mass immunization program is to start by the second quarter of 2021. It seeks to vaccinate 25 million in the remaining nine months of 2021 and another 25 million in 2022, or a total of 50 million for the first two years. The remaining 60 million would have theirs by the third, fourth, and fifth year.

The first to be given the vaccines are the frontline health workers – medical doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other health workers whose jobs mandate them to attend to Covid-19 patients. They will be followed by what he described as “essential workers,” whose job is to propel the national economy. The third group is the “vulnerable sector” composed of senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and infants and babies.

The mass immunization program would have a budget of at least P38 billion in 2021, of which P10 billion would come from the Bayanihan Act 2 and P28 billion from the 2021 national budget, which is current being processed in Congress. The exact budgetary allocation has yet to be fixed by Congress, although published reports said it could reach P28 billion. Of the P28 billion, only P10 billion would constitute the programmed part, while P20 billion is un-programmed, or subject to availability of funds.

Of the proposed 2021 national budget of P4.5 trillion, the budget coordinating committee had earmarked P2.5 billion for the mass immunization. Lawmakers found the budget too small. They have taken the initiative to raise it although they have disagreements on the final amount. Certain lawmakers have wanted to raise it up to P150 billion, although it was not clear if it would cover a single year, or the entire five years of its implementation.

Because of the magnitude of the mass immunization program, the 2021 budgetary outlay of P18 billion is considered small. The budget is P72 per person. Poor but vulnerable citizens would be deprived of the vaccines, if politicians dip their hands into the program budget for use in their political campaigns in the run-up in the 2022 presidential elections.

Although he enjoys enormous powers over the direction of the mass vaccination program to the chagrin of the Department of Health (DoH), which has to play second fiddle to him, Galvez has to disengage completely from politicians, who want to use the program for their selfish agenda. Hence, it is important for Galvez to insulate it from politicians. Hence, the mass immunization program has to be fully depoliticized.

Galvez has to use his powers to obtain cheaper vaccines not just from the U.S., member-states of the European Union like France and Germany, and Asian countries like Japan, South Koreas, and Taiwan. Galvez and his staff could explore India as an alternative to China. India has profound medical traditions. Moreover, it has been a source of cheaper generic medicine. In fact, when the Cheaper Medicines Law of 2008 was being discussed in Congress, lawmakers had identified India as a possible source of cheaper generic medicine.

Galvez does not have to alter the platform, which the national government did when it launched its anti-polio mass immunization program I 1993 and the mass vaccination program against polio and measles in 2014. He has to make full use of barangay health workers, health organizations that belong to civil society, the business community and industrial workers. That is if the Duterte government could generate trust and confidence from many sectors. That would be the challenge for Galvez, who is not a medical worker.

***

QUOTE UNQUOTE: “If the AFP and NTF-ELCAC are really serious in calling for an end to the armed conflict, they should convince Duterte to resume the peace talks. Killing young, idealistic people like Jevilyn Cullamat, who joined the NPA due to injustice, will only fuel the war.” – Teddy Casino, dating mambabatas

“Many people hardly have an understanding of the national budget. Well, the national budget is the compendium – or summary – of our national policies. The national budget contains all major policies. We spend the biggest on education because it is our national policy to educate our people, especially the youth. We spend big amounts for health care because it’s our national policy to promote the health of our people. The increases and decreases in the budget of certain areas and issues indicate our priorities or increases and decreases of their importance in our public life. Budgetary insertions could mean virtual amendments of existing public policies. Hence, we have to keep a keen eye on the national budget. It is not an ordinary piece of legislation. It does not contain a mere list of state expenditures… It goes beyond the list of state expenses. Public policy is most important.” – PL, netizen

“Paid BBM trolls and bloggers should hire grammar nazis and fact checkers to make their posts a little readable and palatable. Their posts are outrageously written. Their problems are quite basic. It’s best to avoid reading them. Nothing of worth is discernible. Plain garbage.” – PL, netizen