The vaccine roll-out for Cebu City’s barangay health workers started on March 24 at Robinsons Galleria. | Photo Courtesy of Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is hoping that the Department of Health (DOH) could come up with a timeline for the roll-out of the vaccines.
This is because many of the priority groups especially the senior citizens and the general population are awaiting the vaccines so they can finally go back to their normal lives.
“The senior citizens and the general population are pinning their hopes on the vaccines labi na ang mga senior citizens nga ganahan na makagawas, makaadto sa mga simbahan,” said the mayor in a press conference on Thursday, March 25, 2021.
Labella is appealing to the DOH to expedite the roll-out of the vaccines, and provide a comprehensive timeline as to when each priority group will finally get its chance.
The mayor also wants the health agency to hasten the roll-out so more people can be vaccinated in a shorter span of time.
Yesterday, March 24, the city government has began the roll-out of the vaccines to barangay health workers and private medical workers in the city with at least 673 health workers vaccinated.
READ: Barangay health workers in Cebu City finally get COVID-19 vaccines
The city government is hoping that more vaccines will arrive so that the senior citizens and indigents will be covered and more individuals will be vaccinated, adding another layer of protection for the city.
The mayor has instructed the vaccine board that for those who will refuse to be vaccinated, the allotted doses must be given to the next qualified individual so as not to waste them.
“Mao unta, kung di sila pabakuna karon, ihatag nalang sa lain. Ngano ato paman silang hulaton?,” he said.
The mayor encouraged the public to get vaccinated when doses are available for them because this can protect them from developing diseases from the coronavirus, thereby helping the city to build herd immunity against the COVID-19.
READ: Walk-ins, anxiety, cause bottleneck in vaccine roll-out in Cebu City
As for the city’s own procurement of the vaccines, Cebu City has now opened negotiation with Faberco Laboratories for the vaccine, Covovax, which the city will procure P100 million worth of doses for the first procurement.
The mayor has signed the term sheet that will serve as basis for the negotiations. Once the supply documents will be in order, Labella promised to publicize these for the scrutiny of the public. /rcg