EUROPE and the United States have ordered COVID-19 vaccines. When will we?
Yes, other countries have started placing orders for vaccines from the global pharmaceutical giants. The Philippines must not be left behind. We must have enough supplies of vaccines for all our people, all 109 million of them.
If we go for locally-produced vaccines, the production capacity must be high enough for all our citizens. For this to happen, there must be a herculean investment either by government or the private sector, or both.
Do we already have a National Vaccination Plan? Does the plan cover all our citizens? It should cover all our citizens. Every Filipino citizen must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Where is the budget for this National Vaccination Plan? How will this be funded? How long will the plan run?
The bidding for the contract to supply our country with all the COVID-19 vaccines it will need must be open and transparent from end to end. Our procurement laws and regulations must be followed. No country or nor company must be favored over others.
Above all, the vaccines must be safe.
Our barangay health workers may be tapped to be at the forefront of this national vaccination operation. They, as health frontliners, must also be the first to be vaccinated for the protection of everyone they will be helping with.
