Marikina City creates Covid-19 vaccination task force

MANILA – Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro on Thursday signed an executive order (EO) creating a task force that will oversee the city’s vaccination drive against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Under EO 1 series of 2021, the Marikina City Covid-19 Vaccination Task Force will be in charge of the following functions:

Vaccine Assessment – assess and evaluate the vaccines to be acquired by the city based on its effectiveness, safety, and other considerations such as storage, handling, equipment, and training requirements. It shall include the formulation of eligibility criteria for ensuring that each priority sector of the population will receive and are matched with the Covid-19 vaccine most suitable to them in terms of safety and efficacy;

Profiling and Selection – identify and profile the target population or priority groups to be immunized and their eligibility to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in line with the national guidelines and criteria set by the medical experts. The team shall record key information and create a master list of the target eligible population or priority group;

Acquisition and Procurement – acquire COVID-19 vaccines authorized for the use in the Philippines in coordination with the national government;

Storage and Handling – ensure availability of appropriate cold storage facilities for the vaccines in accordance with the recommended vaccines storage temperatures. The team shall also manage and conduct vaccine transfer or transport to ensure cold chain is maintained;

Administration – develop and administer a system for registering, administering and tracking the distribution of doses, including notifying beneficiaries of their eligibility and the vaccination schedule. The team shall also ensure availability of sufficient manpower to distribute and administer the vaccine, including medical and non-medical private sector volunteers wherever necessary;

Vaccination Program Communication – develop a campaign strategy that discusses the safety of the vaccine, the status of vaccine availability and education on personal and community benefits of receiving the vaccine. The team shall fully develop and implement clear and concise information regarding the vaccine;

Case Monitoring – monitor the health condition of those inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, conduct reminders for their second dose, a d ensure proper medical care is given in case of adverse side effects; and

Covid-19 Vaccination Program Monitoring – establish a vaccine database that includes provider data, vaccine orders, and administration data for reporting purposes. The team shall also analyze the acquired data, generate reports and provide recommendations to obtain accurate and adequate vaccine data for Marikina and ensure effective vaccine allocation.

The task force will be composed of the city mayor as chairperson and the vice mayor as co-chairperson.

The team will be also made up of practicing medical professionals with expertise in pulmonology, virology, oncology, cardiology, molecular biology, and infectious diseases who will lead the assessment of the vaccines’ effectiveness.

The members of the vaccination task force will be also composed of city department heads and other city officials.

During the Covid-19 Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) team visit to Marikina on Wednesday, Teodoro announced that the national government has granted the city’s request to provide Marikina with vaccines enough to inoculate 70 percent of its total population.

Teodoro said the city’s primary objective is to preserve the institutional integrity of its healthcare system, wherein healthcare remains robust and prepared for any health crisis or challenge, and will always be ready to provide critical healthcare services to the people.

He added that the city has also formed a group of experts who would lead an information drive to allay the people’s fears on the Covid-19 vaccines.

Teodoro said the city government is putting up a post-care monitoring system to observe individuals who will be administered the vaccines.