Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday assured that there would be an equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as the government exerts all efforts to ramp up and accelerate the country’s national vaccination program.
Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, made the assurance as the government gears for the arrival of the first batch of Sinovac vaccines on Feb. 28 and AstraZeneca on Monday, March 1.
The senator also said the government is simultaneously ensuring the safety and efficacy of the procured vaccines.
“This is just the start. We need to do more. We need to accelerate the vaccination program in a safe, sure and secure manner,” Go said in an interview on Net 25.
According to Go, President Duterte has ordered that the vaccines be distributed to strategic places particularly in the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
“The President wants the vaccines distributed all over the country,” Go said adding that the Chief Executive has also ordered the first round of vaccinations to begin by the first week of March.
However, details of the vaccine rollout would be provided in due course by National Task Force Against COVID-19 and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr., Go said.
He also said the President has ordered the government task force against COVID-19 to follow the priority list.
“In fact, this 100,000 Sinovac would be given to soldiers and civilian employees of the Department of National Defense (DND). The Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) is now ready to conduct the vaccination,” he stressed.
Go also said the President is willing to revisit his decision to reject the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to place the country under modified general community quarantine or MGCQ.
“What is important right now is we work as a team—Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. What is very important right now is the roll out of the vaccines,” he said. “That’s the only key solution to our problem right now,” Go stressed.