Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) — Public schools will be designated as among the vaccination sites in Pasig in a bid to ensure an orderly and fast rollout of coronavirus vaccines, a city health officer announced on Tuesday.
“We asked the permission sa atin pong regional office ng DepEd to use public schools para mas mabilis po at mas maayos po ang pagbabakuna natin,” Pasig City Health Officer Joseph Panaligan said during a forum.
[Translation: We asked permission from the regional office to use public schools so the vaccination will be quick and orderly.]
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto told the same forum that public schools are the “best venue” for vaccination as they have ample spaces that would allow vaccine recipients to practice physical distancing.
Tanghalang Pasigueño and other hospitals including Pasig City General Hospital will also serve as vaccination sites in the city.
Panaligan said a doctor will be assigned to each immunization site in case a vaccine recipient suffers vaccine-related side effects. There are also emergency vehicles on standby to transfer to treatment facilities people who experience mild to severe reactions after receiving the shots. A total of 74 personnel, composed of medical staff and support staff, will be deployed to each center.
Priority groups
Pasig LGU will administer the vaccine based on priority groups. First in line are frontline health workers, followed by indigent senior citizens, remaining senior citizens, remaining indigent population, and uniformed personnel.
Panaligan said 195,912 eligible recipients were included in the city’s initial master list of priority sectors, most of whom are indigents and senior citizens.
The Pasig government may finish with the first wave of mass vaccination in 21 days if there is enough supply of anti-coronavirus shots, he added.
Post-vaccination
Pasig’s health centers are tasked to regularly monitor the condition of vaccinated individuals, the city health officer said.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said last week that the target date for the country’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout is Feb. 20. However, if an emergency use authorization on anti-coronavirus shots that will be used in the vaccination program is not issued by the Food and Drug Administration on the date, “we can move it to last week of Feb. or March.”
