GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The local government here has allocated a P200-million budget for its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program, which it expects to roll out by the second quarter of the year.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the city government was closely coordinating with the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the requirements for the procurement of the vaccine, particularly that manufactured by AstraZeneca.
He said vulnerable sectors, including frontliners and senior citizens, will be given priority for the COVID-19 inoculation campaign.
Rivera said the city government decided to procure the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure public health safety of the more than 650,000 residents of the city.
Though the city has reported a very low infection rate with only 90 active cases and 60 fatalities, Rivera said that the local government will launch a pro-active vaccination program for the city to achieve herd immunity.