The government is committed to implement an efficient and orderly distribution of the coronavirus vaccines once the supply becomes available in the country, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.
Nograles explained that the government's vaccine rollout includes an option for the priority beneficiary to decline a free vaccine. The person who refuses the vaccine will be put at the end of the line precisely to prevent any disorder in the immunization drive, he added.
"You get your shot or you waive it...We’ll not force you. You can waive, but understand that when you waive, then you will have to give your slot to the next in line and you will have to go to the end of the line; otherwise, medyo magiging magulo (there will be chaos)," he said during a televised briefing Tuesday.
"Kasi kung magkakaniya-kaniya tayong pili, then we have to put some order in terms of the queue, right? At iyan po iyong mga discussions namin sa IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases) Because if we want to choose, then we have to put some order in terms of the queue, right? That's part of our discussion in the IATF)," he added.
Nograles said those who made a pass on the vaccine would have to wait for their turn "because there are still others that we have to inoculate."
"So like I said, you may opt not to take it once your turn comes, but be prepared na you will go to the end of the line," he said.
"Para magkaroon ng systematic at hindi magugulo iyong (To have a systematic and avoid a disorderly) queuing system po natin sa pagbabakuna (in vaccination), then that is what we need to do. Because, again, it’s really a race to the vaccines here – not just in the country but in the entire world," he said.
The government earlier announced it would use geographical and sectoral strategy in the distribution of the coronavirus vaccines this year.
Metro Manila and other coronavirus-affected places will be among the priority areas for vaccination.
From these areas, the frontline health workers, seniors, indigents, and uniformed personnel will be given the vaccines.
Nograles said they will use the template already being used by the Department of Health for the COVID immunization program.
"We will go region by region. We have already identified the regions by priority and then we will go by sectoral vaccination," he said.
"We will start with NCR and then we will go down to the other regions like CAR, Region III, Region IV-A, Central Visayas, Davao Region and then all the way until maubos natin ang lahat ng regions (until we cover all regions)," he said.