The Navotas City government has signed an agreement with British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca for the purchase of 100,000 doses of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said 50,000 residents will be the first to be inoculated during the second half of 2021.
"Pinirmahan po natin kahapon ang kasunduan para makabili po tayo ng 100,000 doses ng bakuna laban sa COVID-19 sa AztraZeneca pharmaceutical company. Dahil dalawang doses po ang kailangan ng bawat tao, 50,000 Navoteño po ang unang mabibigyan natin ng bakuna na inaasahan nating dadating sa second half ng 2021 (We signed an agreement yesterday with AztraZeneca pharmaceutical company for the purchase of 100,000 doses of vaccine against COVID-19. Because each person needs two doses, 50,000 Navoteño will be vaccinated in the second half of 2021)," Tiangco wrote.
This means that by June, a quarter of the city's 267,429 residents will have already been vaccinated.
"For AstraZeneca only P25 million," the mayor said when asked how much budget the city is allotting for the vaccine. In a survey conducted on 6,128 Navotas residents, only 3.80 percent chose AstraZeneca.
Tiangco added that they will also buy vaccines from Pfizer once it becomes available, the vaccine of choice of 84 percent of Navotas residents according to a survey.
"Manatili po tayong maingat at sundin natin ang mga safety protocols habang hinihintay natin ang bakunang ito (Please take care and follow the safety protocols while waiting for this vaccine)," he added.
Tiangco had earlier said the Navotas city government has set aside P20 million for the inoculation of city residents.
Two doses are needed for the AstraZeneca vaccine to take effect. Each dose costs $10 or around P500. (With a report from Joseph Pedrajas)