A COVID-19 vaccination program this early is what the Philippine needs, according to Vice President Leni Robredo, as she noted that the entire population would be needing this protection.
Robredo suggested actions that need to be done even before a vaccine becomes available in her taped speech that aired on Monday.
“Ngayon pa lang, kailangan nang paghandaan kung paano isasagawa ang malawakang deployment kapag na-develop na ito,” she said.
She suggested the decentralization of plans, empowering the barangays in providing this vaccine to their constituents.
“Hindi birong tungkulin ang agarang pagbabakuna sa milyun-milyong Pilipino. Kailangan ng plano, imprastruktura, at mekanismo, na hangga’t maaari ay maibaba sa antas ng mga Barangay Health Unit.”
[As early as now, we must prepare a plan for a massive deployment once a vaccine is develped. It will not be easy to vaccinate millions of Filipinos. We need a plan, infrastructure and mechanism that must be deployed to the level of the Barangay Health Unit.]
The P2.5 billion earmarked for vaccine in the budget for next year could only buy enough vaccines for 3.5 million people, according to data from the Department of Health. Taking this in consideration, the vice president said there must be focus on the preparation of funds and the logistics necessary for the crucial distribution of the vaccine.
Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte said the country was ready to buy from any country that would offer a cheap vaccine against COVID-19.
