Cebu City opens 1st drug store to administer booster shots
‘The goal here is to make vaccines more accessible’
The national government and city government on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, launched the city’s first drug store that will be administering Covid-19 shots to the public in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Morexette Marie B. Erram
CEBU CITY, Philippines—More access to COVID-19 vaccines are being made in Cebu City.
The national government and city government on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, launched the city’s first drug store that will be administering Covid-19 shots to the public.
Officials from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF), Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), and Cebu City Government held a ceremonial launching of the Resbakuna sa Botika at the Rose Pharmacy branch in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
Those who attended the event were testing czar Vince Dizon, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., IATF-Visayas Deputy Chief Implementer Gen. Mel Feliciano, DOH-7 assistant director Dr. Guy Perez, and executives from Rose Pharmacy led by Deputy General Manager Michael So.
“The goal here is to make vaccines more accessible para mas madali (maachieve yung higher vaccination rate),” said Dizon.
The drug store was selected as the pilot in providing free booster shots to individuals age 18 to 59 years old.
Those who want to avail would only have to present their unique quick-response (QR) code on their vaccination card.
The said the branch can accommodate up to 100 insividuals per day.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of DOH-7 and spokesperson of the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC), said more pharmacies are applying for the health department’s Resbakuna sa Botika program.
In Cebu, Loreche said at least three pharmacy chain brands expressed willingness to participate in the Resbakuna sa Botika.
Aside from Rose Pharmacy, the others are Watsons, and Mercury Drug Store.
“We will know how many more after our meeting with the rest of the pharmacies,” said Loreche.
/bmjo
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