Senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and people with comorbidities will get relief aid from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) if they avail of jabs for the upcoming three-day nationwide vaccination drive.

The national government has set the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination drive dubbed “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” from November 29 to December 1.

“The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD)-BARMM is supportive of the region’s Ministry of Health (MOH) in this massive vaccination drive,” MSSD Minister Raissa Jajurie, a lawyer, said in a statement Wednesday.

She said the MSSD would support the vaccination drive through the provision of relief aid to indigents who will get their jabs during the three-day campaign.

She did not say though whether the MSSD assistance would come in cash or in kind.

“It’s an inter-agency government strategy so we can reach population protection,” Jajurie said.

“MSSD is an active partner of MOH-BARMM in this whole of government approach in vaccination rollout,” she added.

BARMM is one of the regions across the country that have a low vaccination rate as many refuse to get vaccinated due to myths and fake news.

Dr. Bashary Latiph, BARMM health minister, said as of November 21, the MOH has administered the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines to 311,578 individuals, while 314,877 have been fully vaccinated.

On December 1, a team from the National Task Force Against Covid-19 is scheduled to visit the region and supervise the vaccination program to address vaccine hesitancy. (PNA)