Gov’t vows equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines

MANILA – The government has vowed to speed up equitable distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as more supplies arrive in the country in the coming months, National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon said.

In a press conference Monday, Dizon said the country already administered nearly 14 million jabs as of last week even with the delay in delivery of some vaccines in the past weeks.

He added the country will inoculate some 4 million Covid-19 vaccines for the first two weeks of July, the fastest and highest number of inoculation in two weeks since the immunization program started last March.

“Vaccines are coming and our fellow Filipinos can expect that we will speed up our vaccination efforts so that many Filipinos will be able to receive vaccines in the coming weeks and months,” he said in Filipino.

Dizon also called on local government units (LGUs), particularly in Metro Manila, to continue the vaccination services even if they already achieve their target population for inoculation.

He said vaccination sites of Metro Manila LGUs in the future could vaccinate those from neighboring provinces.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said his city is more than willing to continue the vaccination once the LGU has inoculated its target population, as long as the national government will continue providing the vaccines for them.

Zamora added that with more people coming from other provinces to San Juan for Covid-19 vaccines, this will translate to foot traffic in the vaccination site located in a mall, higher sales for the entrepreneurs, and higher tax collection for the LGU.