Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 2) — Local officials in Malabon City are willing to receive coronavirus vaccines publicly to help build the residents’ confidence in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, Mayor Lenlen Oreta said Tuesday.
“Kami po (local officials) ay magpapakita na po kami ay nagpapabakuna para mawala po ang takot nila,” Mayor Oreta said in a briefing about Malabon’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.
[Translation: We will be getting the vaccine in public to help allay people’s fears.]
Results of a survey the Malabon local government conducted on Jan. 18 showed 65% of the 1,356 respondents were not willing to receive a coronavirus vaccine, citing fears of side effects including allergies, Malabon City health officer Bobby Romero announced in the same briefing.
“Nakita po natin na maraming umaayaw sa pagbabakuna,” he said.
[Translation: We saw that a lot of people are unwilling to receive the vaccine.]
Because of this finding, the city government has launched a massive information drive on COVID-19 vaccines to persuade people to get inoculated.
Romero said they are targeting to inoculate 60% percent of Malabon’s population of 396,434. The health officer said 75,225 healthcare workers, senior citizens, indigents and uniformed personnel are on the city’s initial vaccine priority list, adding that profiling of eligible frontline healthcare personnel is still ongoing.
Vaccination sites
The local government has identified as the city’s vaccination sites Ospital ng Malabon, Acacia Elementary School, Malabon National High School’s Hulong Duhat auditorium, Longos Elementary School, and Potrero Elementary School, Romero said. Eleven personnel will be assigned to each vaccination site, he noted, adding they are prepared to augment the workforce once additional vaccines arrive.
Romero also said an ambulance will be on standby in each vaccination center to transport to hospitals vaccine recipients who may experience adverse reactions to an anti-coronavirus shot.
