BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Following its successful launching in Metro Manila last month, the Resbakuna sa Botika – vaccination in pharmacies – against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now available in this city.
The launching was held yesterday afternoon with vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Health secretary Francisco Duque and testing czar Secretary Vivencio Dizon in attendance.
Initially, the vaccinations will be for booster shots.
The accredited pilot pharmacy here is Mercury Drug Store at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
In the coming days, more participating drug stores here and in Negros Occidental will be identified, said Duque in a short press conference after the launching.
The vaccination is free of charge.
The national government will supply all the partner drug stores with the COVID-19 vaccines, including the ancillary such as syringes, the training of people who will serve as vaccinators, and the guidelines on how to go about with the “Resbakuna sa Botika” program.
Pharmacists have to undergo one week of training before they can begin inoculating individuals.
For his part, Dizon said this scheme aims to further make COVID-19 vaccines accessible to the public.
Galvez said recent that the Philippines needed to ramp up its administration of booster doses.
Some 4.7 million Filipinos have received their booster shots, a low number considering that the vaccination of children, which was launched at around the same time, has reached more than 8 million, he said.
Galvez said an average of 260,000 booster doses was being administered daily, and the number should be raised to 500,000.
He said that aside from pharmacies for the booster shots, the government would also tap “mega vaccination sites” and malls.
Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center, meanwhile, said the Resbakuna sa Botika program is a big boost to the city’s goal of achieving herd immunity against COVID-19.
Also in attendance at the launching yesterday were Bacolod City’s Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson./PN
