Dizon wants free transport to vaccine sites

Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon | CDN Digital File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon is asking the Vaccine Advisory Board (VAB) to provide free transportation to the individuals scheduled for vaccination in the sites.

The councilor said the city now operates four vaccination sites – University of Cebu (UC) Banilad campus, Robinsons Galleria, SM Seaside City, and UC Senior High School campus all of which are at the urban areas.

Still, these areas may still be far and inaccessible for the senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), persons with comorbidities, and indigent residents of the city.

“Transportation should not be a health barrier and government must show and act to establish the people’s trust in its vaccination program by seeing them through the entire vaccination process in which accessibility and public convenience are critical components,” said Dizon.

With this, he asked the VAB to make free transportation available to cover more senior citizens, persons with disabilities, persons with co-morbidities, essential workers, indigent residents, and the general population.

This way the vaccination sites become more accessible and convenient and could encourage more residents to get inoculated.

Furthermore, he is asking the private sector through the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to help augment the provision of free transportation for employees and Cebu City residents to help in the city’s vaccination roll-out especially in encouraging more people to get vaccinated.

“The private sector can likewise help in this logistical aspect on the premise that giving free rides encourage more of our residents to get the shot especially those who are residing in remote communities,” said Dizon.

The councilor hopes the VAB would consider this request to encourage more of the public to get vaccinated thereby hastening the reaching of the city’s goal of 70 percent inoculation for herd immunity. /rcg