The City of Makati has purchased one million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay said on Monday.
This after the city chief executive signed a tripartite agreement with the British-Swedish biopharmaceutical company and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Infectious Diseases through electronic means.
“We intend to vaccinate all Makatizens, including real property owners, business owners, and non-registered voters who reside in the city. We want them to be safe from the virus, and we are aiming for 100% vaccination in the city,” said Binay.
Binay said the local government is set to launch an information campaign, together with medical experts on infectious diseases and vaccination, to ensure that all doubts, concerns, and questions on the COVID-19 vaccine will be answered.
She urged her constituents to take full advantage of the city’s free vaccination.
Makati will also launch an online registration portal in the coming weeks.
Last week, the mayor announced that the city has allocated P1 billion to purchase the vaccines.
“This is our number one priority for 2021. I want each and every Makatizen to receive both doses of the coronavirus vaccine for free to protect them and their families against the virus,” said Binay.
“We’ve seen the damage it can do both to human lives and our economy. After everything we’ve lost this year, we will do whatever it takes to protect our residents, employees, and our business community,” she added.
In December, the local government inoculated the last batch of residents to be vaccinated in its flu vaccination program aim to prevent hospitalizations and reduce complications of COVID-19.
The trivalent flu shots cover three influenza strains, namely, influenza A or H1N1, influenza A or H3N2, and influenza B.
Aside from flu shots, residents and City Hall employees have also received free vaccination shots against pneumonia.
Mayor Binay reiterated her reminders to her constituents to wash their hands regularly with clean soap and water, wear face masks and face shields, avoid crowded places, observe coughing and sneezing etiquette, maintain a distance of at least one meter from other people, and avoid touching surfaces during the holiday season to curb the spread of COVID-19.