PRIORITY SECTOR. Quezon City continues to prioritize medical front-liners, the elderly, and adults with comorbidities, like in this undated photo, in the Covid-19 vaccination drive. The Capitol Medical Center and St. Luke’s Medical Center are among the city’s new vaccination sites. (Photo courtesy of QC-PIO)
MANILA – Medical professionals in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination sites were reminded not to give special treatment, especially to people they know.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, in her speech during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony at the City Hall, said front-liners should not succumb to pressure.
“Nakiki-usap din ako sa ating mga duktor. Huwag na po natin pa-iralin ang dating gawi na may special treatment ang mga so-called VIP (very important person). Wala pong VIP sa pagbabakuna. Pare-pareho lang dapat ang trato sa lahat ng tao (I call on our doctors. Let us not give in to old habits of giving special treatment to the so-called VIPs. There is no VIP in vaccination. We should treat everyone the same),” Belmonte said.
Home service, she reminded, are only for those who cannot go out of their houses while skipping the line in vaccination centers should not be allowed.
Now that more Covid-19 vaccines are certainly arriving in the next few days, Belmonte is hoping QC will get the right allocation.
As more prefer the US-made Pfizer jabs, Belmonte said no brand will be announced prior to vaccination day.
“Sa mga naglalaway ‘pag may Pfizer, remember hashtag bawal ang choosy sa QC (To those who want Pfizer, remember, being choosy is not allowed in QC),” Belmonte said.
Belmonte also commended the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Disease Unit and the Vax to Normal group because the initial Pfizer vaccines were given to indigent residents and senior citizens with comorbidities.
QC is targeting to vaccinate about 1.7 million residents, or 80 percent of the nearly 3 million population.
The target may go up to 2.2 million if children 12 to 17 years old will be allowed to get vaccinated. (PNA)
