Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. proposed the opening COVID-19 vaccination to minors with co-morbidities and children of healthcare workers by mid- October as it will have enough doses to do this.

"We are proposing, Mr. President, to open up the vaccination for children by mid of October because by the mid of October, we will, have an additional 20 million doses that will arrive plus the 23 million, we can now vaccinate the 12 million population of minors with age 12 to 17," he said.

Galvez said the country has "enough supply with the 23.75 million in stock and more than 20 million more coming until the first week of October."

"The 23.75 million stocks can sustain the vaccination for the whole month of October because the average now Mr. President, is 400,000 to 500,000. So for us to use all this 23.75 (million doses) we have to use 800,000 per day," he said.

"Right now our daily average is only 400,000 a day and we are experiencing a saturation point in NCR and other cities. Meaning, it seems that the supply is meeting the demand, meaning, we have to open for other sectors," he added.

Even as he admits that there is still high vaccine "hesitancy", Galvez emphasizes the recommendation of a new vaccination strategy called bandwagon effect to increase vaccinations.

"Because the hesitancy is really high Mr. President, especially in far-flung areas and to what we call the D and E classes who refuse to get vaccinated, especially the seniors to encourage our people, we will have what we called the bandwagon effect which is the family approach and in the workplace," he added. Robina Asido/DMS