Photo courtesy of NTF Against Covid-19
MANILA – As the country will pilot test the “Resbakuna sa Botika” starting January 20, Presidential Adviser for Covid-19 Response Vivencio Dizon said the government aims to expand this vaccination initiative outside Metro Manila.
During the Laging Handa public briefing Wednesday, Dizon said the government aims to pilot test the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination in pharmacies for one week before expanding this effort in other parts of the country.
He identified major pharmacies in Metro Manila that will be participating in the “Resbakuna sa Botika” which include The Generics Pharmacy, Generika Drugstore, Healthway Clinic, Mercury Drug, Watsons, QualiMed, and Southstar Drug.
“Tomorrow, we will open four pharmacies in Metro Manila and on Friday, we will open three, including two clinics. And in the coming weeks, we will expand that. The goal is for us to bring our vaccination closer to our countrymen so that we can be vaccinated even faster and more people can be vaccinated,” he said in Filipino.
Dizon clarified that only booster shots will be given in the participating pharmacies in the “Resbakuna sa Botika”.
Pharmacists of partner drugstores will be administering the booster shots, he added.
Dizon said the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) is just waiting for daily cases to slow down for the government to roll out another round of the National Vaccination Days throughout the country.
As the country has hit the target of fully vaccinating 54 million individuals, the government now targets 77 million Filipinos to complete their Covid-19 vaccines by the end of the first quarter.
“So, all we ask Filipinos is that we go to the vaccination sites, especially when we roll out to pharmacies in various places in the Philippines, it will be even easier,” he added..
Walk-in allowed
Dizon said walk-in vaccinees are also allowed to get booster shots, provided that they undergo onsite registration.
"Libre po ito; walang bayad ito, kagaya na rin ng mga bakunahan natin na mga LGU (local government unit) natin kaya wala pong problema ang ating mga kababayan dito at mas mapapadali pa sana sa kanila (This is free and with no charges, just like the vaccination being done by the LGUs, so there's no problem for our countrymen and it would actually be easier for them)," he said.
Dizon said an integrated system will be operated by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with the participating pharmaceutical stores.
NTF chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., earlier said the move will expand to other cities outside NCR and to other regions "based on readiness and safety inspections."
It will also address the shortage of vaccinators as the government targets at least 90 million for full vaccination by mid-year, he added.
Based on the latest data from the national Covid-19 vaccination dashboard, the Philippines has so far administered 120,645,514 doses of Covid-19 vaccines nationwide, with 59,255,237 doses were used as first shots, 56,027,759 as second shots, and 5,362,518 as booster shots or additional doses. (with reports from Lade Jean Kabagani/PNA)
Dizon said walk-in vaccinees are also allowed to get booster shots, provided that they undergo onsite registration.
"Libre po ito; walang bayad ito, kagaya na rin ng mga bakunahan natin na mga LGU (local government unit) natin kaya wala pong problema ang ating mga kababayan dito at mas mapapadali pa sana sa kanila (This is free and with no charges, just like the vaccination being done by the LGUs, so there's no problem for our countrymen and it would actually be easier for them)," he said.
Dizon said an integrated system will be operated by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with the participating pharmaceutical stores.
NTF chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., earlier said the move will expand to other cities outside NCR and to other regions "based on readiness and safety inspections."
It will also address the shortage of vaccinators as the government targets at least 90 million for full vaccination by mid-year, he added.
Based on the latest data from the national Covid-19 vaccination dashboard, the Philippines has so far administered 120,645,514 doses of Covid-19 vaccines nationwide, with 59,255,237 doses were used as first shots, 56,027,759 as second shots, and 5,362,518 as booster shots or additional doses. (with reports from Lade Jean Kabagani/PNA)
