Cebu City faces delay in COVID vaccine rollout for frontliners


CEBU CITY – With no available venue yet, the city may face delay in the rollout of its vaccination program for barangay health workers (BHWs) and other medical frontliners.

The city is looking for a suitable venue after the Vaccine Board disapproved the proposed sites where the inoculation was supposed to take place, said Councilor Dave Tumulak.

The city first chose the Don Bosco Youth Center in Barangay Punta Princesa as a vaccination site but the board, headed by Vice Mayor Michael Rama, turned down the venue.

“Some of the concerns they raised included poor ventilation and the site itself is not PWD (persons-with-disabilities) friendly,” said Tumulak.

Tumulak added the decision of the board to turn down the venue came shortly after the arrival of 1,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that the city government has ordered for BHWs.

“We were told that the AstraZeneca vaccines arrived, and that these should be administered immediately to our health workers,” he said.

 Tumulak said the city has asked help from the board to immediately find new vaccination sites.

Several organizations and companies have offered their spaces as vaccination sites but Tumulak these proposals have to be approved by the City Council.

“It actually takes a lot of time. We need a memorandum of agreement for it and clearance from the city council,” Tumulak pointed out.