The Department of Health (DOH) has replied to a comment of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on the national government’s COVID-19 vaccine deployment.
In a statement on May 11, Domagoso expressed his disappointment about the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and called it “super slow.”
DOH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje explained in a Laging Handa public briefing on May 12 that the mayor was referring to the allocation of vaccines. She emphasized that vaccines are distributed by priority.
“Ang sinasabi niyang ‘super slow’, is it the allocation o iyong pagkuha ng vaccine, because we know that the vaccine arrived in tranches, and we cannot give everybody at the same time. Nagpa-priority tayo ng NCR [National Capital Region], about 50 to 70 percent ang nakalaan sa NCR Plus, pero kailangan din nating bigyan iyong ibang region,” she said.
“In fairness kay Mayor Isko, mabilis siya. Kapag binigyan mo ng vaccine, naidya-jab niya lahat. So gusto niya mayroon pa siyang additional doses,” she added.
However, Cabotaje said the vaccines need to be distributed to other parts of the country, and that with more vaccines, more people will be vaccinated.
“But we also have to take care of the other parts of NCR and the other parts of the country. But I think with more vaccines, mabibigyan na natin ng kaukulang numbers, para kapag ready na siyang mag-jab nang mag-jab, maibibigay niya iyong kaukulang doses na nakalaan para sa kanila,” she said.
Cabotaje also said they are also reserving second doses as the vaccines arrive. She explained that they tap the regional health offices in order to determine the needed allocation for the second dose.
(PTV News)/NGS-jlo
