President Duterte is ready to take the coronavirus shot once it is available but his vaccination will not be held in public, Malacañang said Tuesday.
(SIMEON CELI/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
According to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, the President has preferred to follow the British monarchs who were vaccinated in private.
"His answer was 'No problem. I will take the vaccine as soon as it is available' dahil siya nga daw po ay kailangan niyang magkaroon ng bakuna (because he said he needs to get vaccinated)," Roque said during a televised press briefing about the President's response on whether he will be willing to be vaccinated first.
"Pero sabi niya hindi na kinakailangan na ipakita sa publiko. He is taking the route of the British sovereign dahil naging decision nila Queen Elizabeth at kanyang asawa na pribado 'yung pagtuturok sa kanila (But he said it does not have to be shown in public. He is taking the route of the British sovereign because of the decision of Queen Elizabeth and her husband to keep their vaccination in private)," he said.
Roque said the Palace will still announce the President's vaccination once it is completed.
The President recently offered to be among the last to get inoculated against the coronavirus, saying he would let the poor and vulnerable be given priority. Duterte said he and other Cabinet members could be vaccinated when there will be supplies left.
The Palace later clarified that it was not impossible for Duterte to receive the first shot if only to boost public confidence on the vaccination drive.
Even as the government steps up the vaccine procurement, a recent survey showed that almost half of Filipino respondents are not willing to get vaccinated due to safety concerns.
The government intends to secure 148 million doses of vaccines from various suppliers to administer to 70 million Filipinos in a bid to achieve herd immunity. The first batch of the vaccine supplies is scheduled to be delivered to the country next month.