In what is expected to breathe a tinge of public confidence, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya was up to the challenge after expressing on Wednesday willingness to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in public.

Malaya’s statement runs contrary to President Duterte’s preference to be vaccinated in the buttocks in private and not in full public view.
 
As a member of the National Task Force Vaccine Cluster, Malaya in an exclusive interview assured the public that all COVID-19 vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are safe and effective.
 
“Thus we are prepared to lead and be vaccinated in public,’’ Malaya said.
 
Despite the assurance, some skeptics raised their eyebrows insisting that Malaya might accede to be vaccinated in public but by an inoculation with high efficiency rate and not the brand that would be injected to the group in the priority roster.
 
A businessman who requested anonymity noted “there will still be doubts if indeed the vaccine that will be injected on public officials are the same dose given to the general public.’’
 
Short of saying that the claim is absolutely absurd, Malaya stressed that “as members of the NTF Vaccine Cluster, we are front liners and therefore in the priority list. Any FDA approved vaccine is okay with us. We do not have any preference,’’ Malaya said.
 
Critics questioned why the President chose to be injected in the buttocks that raised suspicions if indeed he will be given the dose.
 
Others suspected that the President might be given vaccines with supposed higher efficacy rates.
 
Since the injection should be intramuscular, FDA Director-General Eric Domingo noted the vaccine should be administered in the most accessible part of the body.
 
He added that usually the vaccine is injected in the arm which has no nerves or blood vessels.
 
However, Domingo pointed out the vaccine may be inoculated in the buttocks specifically in the upper outer quadrant where no nerves or blood vessels can be damaged.
 
Explaining further, Domingo said that patient’s consent is necessary when injecting the vaccine as some prefer it to be administered in the buttocks to hide possible scars.