Forty-two biomedical refrigerators and laboratory freezers were procured by the local government unit (LGU) of Makati City to ensure proper and safe storage of COVID-19 vaccines.

Mayor Abigail “Abby” Binay said the vaccine refrigerators and freezers will be housed in a vaccine depot being built at the City Hall quadrangle, saying the Makati Health Department (MHD) eyes to finish the preparation of the site next week.

“As we wait for the vaccines to arrive, the city government is preparing the vaccination sites, depots, and other logistic needs for cold chain management. I assure everyone that we are doing our best to achieve a 100 percent vaccination rate in Makati,” she said in a statement released on Monday (February 8).

On February 5, Binay led the inspection of the city’s COVID-19 vaccination simulation exercise at the Makati Coliseum. 

According to the mayor, residents and non-residents who work in Makati City who will be vaccinated will undergo online registration, counselling, screening, vaccination, and post-vaccination monitoring. 

The Makati Coliseum will cater to the first batch of medical frontliners (public and private) and uniformed personnel who will be inoculated once the vaccines are available, the mayor said.

Aside from the Makati Coliseum, she said the MHD has identified 31 vaccination sites, including 24 public schools, six villages, and the Ospital ng Makati. 

Binay urged Makati residents to take advantage of the city’s free vaccination because it is scientifically proven to be effective against COVID-19.

Moreover, the mayor said Makati LGU will launch an online registration portal in the coming weeks to determine the number of vaccines needed in the city.

In January, Binay announced the city has allotted P1 billion for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines for residents, non-resident workers, and business owners.

The Makati LGU said it has already purchased one million doses from British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and is now negotiating with other pharmaceutical companies.