The Manila City government ushered in the New Year by launching a website where residents can pre-register to avail of the free coronavirus vaccine once it arrives and approved for use.

In his message posted on the welcome page of the website, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso urged Manila residents to pre-register to make the process to get free COVID-19 vaccines faster for everyone once it is available.

“Hinihikayat ko po kayo na lumahok sa pre-registration process na ating nilunsad ngayon upang mas mapabilis at mainam na proseso ng FreeCOVID-19 Vaccine para sa lahat sa sandaling dumating ito (I encourage you to participate in the pre-registration process we launched today to make the Free COVID-19 Vaccine process faster and better for everyone once it arrives),” Mayor Isko said.

“Pumanatag kayo na tanging sertipikado lang ng Food and Drug Administration ang bibilin nating bakuna upang matiyak ito na epektibo at ligtas gamitin (Rest assured that we will only buy vaccines certified by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that they are effective and safe to use),” he added.

Manila residents willing to avail of the vaccine can pre-register through http://manilacovid19vaccine.com.

The city government has set aside about P250 million for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.

The mayor underscored the importance of being inoculated saying this is an effective way to avoid getting infected by the coronavirus.

“Kasabay sa pagbabakuna, ang mga mahahalagang hakbang gaya ng tamang paghuhugas ng kamay, pagsusuot ng face mask at pag iwas sa pakikisalamuha sa maraming tao ay dapat pa rin sundin (Along with vaccination, we should still continue observing proper hand washing, wearing of face mask and avoid large gathering),” the mayor added.

In a Twitter post on Thursday night, Domagoso said the city government has reached out to US-based drug manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna for the COVID-19 vaccines they are currently testing.

“While it is true that we will prioritize medical frontliners and senior citizens based on the policies of the World Health Organization, DOH (Department of Health) and IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force)… after we vaccinate the said sector, we will immediately start the vaccination for those who are interested to have peace of mind in their daily lives,” he said.

The vaccine will be administered in two doses in an interval of four weeks. It reportedly takes a few weeks for the body to establish immunity or protection from diseases after vaccination.

Domagoso explained that if a person has been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19 before or after they get vaccinated, there is still a chance that they could still get COVID-19.

“Ito ay dahil sa ang bakuna ay hindi nagkaroon ng sapat na oras para makabuo ng proteksyon (This is because the vaccine did not have enough time to ensure protection),” he said.

 “May pagkakataon pa rin na kahit nabakunahan na ay nagkakasakit pa rin ngunit hindi ito malala (There is still a chance that even after being inoculated you will still get sick but it is not serious,” Mayor Isko added.

Although there might be some who might get fever or feel weak after being vaccinated, Domagoso noted that these symptoms are normal and are signs that the body is developing protection.

“Lahat ng magpapabakuna laban sa COVID-19 ay magdadaan sa masusing pagsusuri (All those who will get the vaccine shots will undergo a thorough examination),” Domagoso assured.