Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 4) — Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso received his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Chinese manufacturer Sinovac on Sunday.
The Manila Public Information Office on Sunday posted a photo of him getting his first dose at the Osmeña High School in Tondo. The vaccine was administered by Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, who is a doctor.
Moreno also posted a photo of him on his Facebook account after finishing his inoculation.
“Bakunado na po ako! (I’m already vaccinated!) #VaccineNationIsTheSolution,” Moreno’s post read.
“I made a commitment to the people of Manila that I would get the Sinovac vaccine. A lot of Filipinos have doubts about Sinovac, so as a matter of commitment, I got vaccinated with it,” Moreno said in a separate statement.
Manila PIO earlier said President Rodrigo Duterte already approved a recommendation from the Inter-Agency Task Force to allow mayors and governors of high-risk areas to get vaccinated.
National Task Force Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Vince Dizon told CNN Philippines on Sunday that the proposal includes those in the Greater Manila area or the “NCR Plus,” Cordillera Administrative Region, and Central Luzon to address the COVID-19 surge. CNN Philippines is still waiting for the official document from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on this matter
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Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos also bared that the mayors cannot choose which vaccine brand to take given the current available supply. But senior citizens must get their first dose from British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca. The rest will have the CoronaVac vaccine from China’s Sinovac for now.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque is expected to provide more details on the issue in his briefing on Monday.
Currently, only healthcare workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities are allowed to get the limited doses available, following the order of priority groups set by the government.
Earlier, Duterte called out a few mayors who jumped the line in vaccination. That time, only healthcare workers were permitted to get the shots, but this was before the government reimposed the strictest lockdown in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal due to a record-breaking surge in infections.
