VACCINE czar Sec. Carlito Galvez, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque are set to take the first jabs of the China-made CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccines from Chinese biopharma firm Sinovac, says Senator Bong Go.
In a radio interview on Sunday, Go said that it was President Rodrigo Duterte who specifically told his Cabinet members to submit themselves to the vaccination procedure using the Sinovac vaccines as the government culminates on the much-anticipated vaccine rollout.
Galvez and Roque are set to be inoculated at the Philippine General Hospital on Monday, while the Philippine Lung Center would administer the dose of the China-made vaccine to the Health Secretary.
Aside from Galvez, Duque and Roque, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos and Food and Drug Administration Director-General Eric Domingo have likewise signified their intent to be vaccinated at the Lung Center, also on Monday.
Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, in his capacity as acting Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), chose to be injected at the Camp Crame-based PNP General Hospital.
Go also assured that the President would have himself vaccinated in public, but did not specify what brand of vaccine would be injected on him, citing the need to be cautious on the health of the 76-year old Duterte.
“Hindi na kuwestiyon kung magpapabakuna kami ni Pangulong Duterte, magpapabakuna kami in public not because prayoridad kaming mabakunahan but because dapat makuha natin ng kumpiyansa ng bawat Pilipino, ipakita natin. Kadalasan kapag nagtanong ako sa kakaikot ko, wala pang 10 percent ang nagtataas ng kamay pero kapag sinabi ko na ‘paano na lang kung si Pangulo at ako ay magpapabakuna? Dumadami ang nagtataas ng kamay, ibig sabihin parang tinuturo nila na ‘mauna na muna kayo, iyon lamang ang ating survey,” the long time Duterte aide quipped.