The local government of Pasig City has signed a tripartite agreement with the national government and British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca to purchase 400,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines.
Mayor Vico Sotto said the pre-ordered coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines are worth P100 million and enough to inoculate 200,000 Pasig residents.
“Kahapon, nag pirmahan po kami kasama ang national na pamahalaan para sa procurement ng vaccine mula sa AstraZeneca (Yesterday we signed with the national government for the procurement of the vaccine from AstraZeneca),” Sotto said on Monday.
“400,000 doses yung inorder natin so ibig sabihin para sa 200,000 na Pasigueño po yan (We ordered 400,000 doses to cover 200,000 Pasigueños),” he added.
The national government, he said, will also provide the city government with vaccines for its inoculation program of residents.
Trust health experts on vaccines
The mayor has urged his constituents to trust the vaccine that health experts would recommend and approve for use.
“Dapat magtiwala tayo sa mga eksperto. Pag sinabi nila na safe at mabisa ang isang bakuna, dapat magtiwala po tayo sa kanila, magtiwala tayo sa siyensya (We must trust the experts. When they say that a vaccine is safe and effective, we should trust them, we should trust science),” Sotto said.
“Marami sa atin ngayon nagdadalawang isip, medyo may konting kaba. Pero naitindihan natin ‘yun kasi bago eh (Many of us are hesitant, a little nervous. But we understood that because this is new),” he added.
But he assured that the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca is safe because the United Kingdom has approved it for use.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on January 6 that the drug maker has already submitted an application for the emergency approval of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines.
“Kaya kailangan magtiwala po tayo. Kung hindi dahil sa mga bakuna, e di marami parin ngayon may polio, may small pox, may tigdas. Iilan lang po ‘yan sa mga sakit na nawala o halos nawala dahil sa mga bakuna (So we need to give our trust. If not for vaccines, many people will still have polio, smallpox, and measles. Those are just a few of the diseases that have disappeared or are almost gone because of vaccines),” he said.
“Kaya sana pag dumating ‘yung pagkakataon na babakunahan na tayo, pumayag po tayo, mag boluntaryo na tayo (So, I am hopeful that when the time comes that we we will begin the vaccination, let's all volunteer),” he added.
Pasig has allocated P300 million for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines once they are available and approved for use in the country.
The city will also prioritize the inoculation of healthcare frontliners, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.