HEROES. Senator Bong Go talks to medical workers in this undated photo. As the country celebrated Health Workers’ Day on Friday (May 7, 2021), Go said continuous vaccine supplies will ensure more Filipinos will be inoculated, especially front-liners. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The expected arrival of more doses of Covid-19 vaccines this month will ensure that more Filipinos, particularly front-liners and vulnerable sectors, will be given the necessary protection against the disease.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said the delivery of 1.5 million doses of Sinovac vaccines on Friday and the additional two million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines on Saturday coincided with the annual Health Workers’ Day celebrated May 7 annually since 2009.
“Gusto ko pong pasalamatan ang ating mga healthcare workers at mga volunteers sa serbisyo ninyo sa bayan sa panahon ng Covid-19. Walang katumbas ang sakripisyo ninyo para malampasan natin ang pandemyang ito (I would like to thank healthcare workers and volunteers for their service to the nation during this Covid-19 pandemic. Your sacrifices will never be matched.) The entire nation owes you a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid,” Go said during the hearing by the Health Committee, which he chairs, on Thursday.
Go said he was informed by vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. that more jabs are assured of delivery until June.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang rollout ng ating Covid-19 vaccination program ayon sa ating (Our rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program continues according to the) priority list,” Go said.
“Pakiusap ko lang po, sumunod tayo sa priority list. Walang magpapa-importante, walang magpapa-VIP, dahil lahat naman tayo ay nangangailangan mabakunahan (I request that we follow the priority list. No Very Important Person list here. We all need to be vaccinated),” he added.
More jabs, Go said, will increase the vaccination rate of the country which stands at about 133,000 daily.
“Kung madadagdagan natin ang ating daily vaccination rate mula sa kasalukuyang 133,000 daily rate, mas maraming mga Pilipino ang mababakunahan, mas mabilis nating ma-attain ang herd immunity sa community (If we can improve on the daily 133,000 rate, we can achieve herd immunity faster),” he said.
Go appealed to all Filipinos not to fear the vaccines, but fear Covid-19 itself.
“Magtiwala tayo sa bakuna, na ang bakuna lang ang tanging susi o solusyon para makabalik tayo unti-unti sa ating normal na pamumuhay (Trust the vaccines, which are the only solutions for us to go back to our normal lives),” he said. (PR)
