Councilor: Provide free vitamins, flu shots to residents

A Cebu City councilor is asking the Cebu City government to provide free vitamins or Vitamin C and flu vaccines to city residents to help boost their immune system. | CDN file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City residents should have free access to vitamin supplements and influenza or flu vaccinations.

This was the statement of Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon amid the rising cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the city, which has reached 5,989 cases as of July 4, 2020.

Read more: In a week, Cebu City records around 1K more COVID-19 cases

Councilor Dizon said that in order for the residents to combat the disease, they would need to have enough nourishment and nutrients for a strong immune system.

“Our immune system represents the first line of defense against viral infection, and we have to provide the means and educate our constituents, especially the poor and vulnerable, to build up their immune systems to tackle pathogens,” said Dizon.

With this, the councilor is encouraging Mayor Edgardo Labella to study and consider the distribution of healthy and nutritious food items in the city’s food pack relief assistance, the provision of Vitamin C, and offer free flu vaccination especially to the poor and vulnerable.

Read more: Cebu City’s COVID-19 case count nears 6K

Cebu City’s most infected barangays include Barangay Sambag I, Kamputhaw, and Guadalupe, which are densely packed with a high population of informal settlers.

For the councilor, the free flu vaccinations in these areas and other similar areas in the city would help combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Since the city also provides food packs to locked down sitios in Barangays Mambaling, Tejero, and Labangon, Dizon said Vitamin C should be included so that the residents could fight the community transmission in the area.

Finally, Councilor Dizon encouraged the city’s executive department to intensify the information campaign on safety protocols such as wearing masks, social distancing, and proper hygiene.

Dizon said he hoped the mayor would consider this suggestion that the city council had addressed in a formal resolution on July 2, 2020.

The city would need the residents to be healthy, said Dizon.

Read more: Lapu-Lapu mayor eyes vitamins, flu shots for residents

Last month, Mayor Junard Chan, the mayor of a neighboring city, also announced that their city was considering providing free vitamins and flu shots to their residents.

Chan said this last June 28 and amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in that city. /dbs