Manila starts vaccination of indigents

MANILA – It is the turn of Manila’s indigent residents or those belonging under the A5 category to get vaccinated against the coronavirus starting Wednesday.

In his Facebook live update Tuesday, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso announced that the coronavirus vaccines recently delivered to the city would be used for the A5 group.

“Excited ako, ‘yung mga mahihirap nating kababayan, ibig sabihin halos general population ito (I’m excited about our indigents, this means this is almost the general population),” Domagoso said.

Citing the World Health Organization, Domagoso said the vaccines that arrived last week through the COVAX Facility would be allocated for the indigent population.

Manila received Tuesday 74,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines from the national government.

It also has Sinovac jabs for use as second dose for the A1, A2 and A3 priority groups, which have received their first dose on May 19.

Manila has eight vaccination sites used for the A5 priority group from District 1 to District 6, Domagoso said.

For District 1, four vaccination sites have been assigned. These are Area H Palagatak covered court in Parola, Barangay 105 covered court, Riverside covered court in Barangay 101, and at the Smokey Mountain Barangay 128 covered court.

For District 5, the sites are Corazon Aquino Elementary School, Port Area AWU, and Barangay 649 covered court, all in Baseco, and one site for District 6 at the Sta. Ana Elementary School in Barangay 900.

Each site will have 1,000 doses each of the Covid-19 jabs, except for Port Area AWU that has 700 doses.

“These additional vaccination sites for the A5 is on top of our 18 sites, inilapit na natin sa mga bahay nila para hindi na sila lalayo (we placed it near their houses so they don’t need to go far),” he said.

Meantime, vaccination for the A2 and A4 groups continues at the four mall sites, namely the Lucky Chinatown Mall, Robinsons Place Manila, SM Manila, and SM San Lazaro with 2,500 doses each.

Domagoso said the number of doses may still be increased as long as there is enough supply.

“We can resupply within the day kung maaga matapos ‘yung initial allotment as long as may supply tayo which is today meron (if the initial allotment is finished early, as long as we have supplies, and today we have),” Domagoso said.

The vaccination schedule has been extended, now from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., to accommodate more people.

“Natutuwa din ako, almost perfect ang data ng Maynila in terms of number ng mga nagpa second dose (I am also happy, the data of Manila in terms of those who have received their second dose is almost perfect),” he said.