BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia responded to speculations why city officials were not among those who got vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 during this city’s ceremonial vaccination on March 5.
“City officials are not in the DOH’s (Department of Health) priority list,” the mayor stressed.
The city government received a total of 6,300 vials of Sinovac vaccine on Friday.
Councilors Cindy Rojas, Israel Salanga, Lady Gles Pallen, and Ayesha Joy Villaflor publicly declared their willingness of getting the anti-coronavirus jabs.
“It is not true that they retreated or changed their minds. They simply agreed to wait for the right time,” Leonardia added.
The mayor shared that vaccine czar Carlito Galvez sent him a text message that read: “Vaccines are still limited. Let us dedicate the vaccines to our healthcare workers.”
“Active hospital frontliners po muna tayo. No councilors, Sir,” it added.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the city’s Inter-Agency Task Force, said he also wanted to receive the vaccine that day, but was advised otherwise as he was not included in the priority list.
In the ceremonial vaccination held at the Bacolod City Government Center, five doctors and a nurse received the initial doses of the Sinovac vaccine./PN
