Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Monday said he and President Rodrigo Duterte will be vaccinated together in public to demonstrate the vaccines’ safety and efficacy.
“It's not a question anymore if the President is willing to be vaccinated in public or not because we all want to be vaccinated,” said Go.
“We are doing this not because we are a priority. We will do this to show to the public that they should trust the vaccines,” he said.
“We will be vaccinated in public together. We are just waiting for his doctor’s choice of the vaccines considering his age and health,” noted Go.
Go said that once Duterte’s physician has recommended a vaccine, they will be inoculated together in public.
“Once meron na pong napili, willing kami sabay in public na magpabakuna,” assured Go, a former aide of the president before becoming a senator.
Go also shared that several public officials have agreed to be vaccinated in public to allay apprehensions about getting inoculated due to safety concerns.
Go said that only the success of the vaccination program can restore normalcy in the country.
“‘Wag po kayong matakot sa bakuna, matakot po kayo sa COVID-19,” Go urged the public.
He acknowledged that many frontliners remain hesitant but stressed that medical and other frontline workers must be prioritized in the vaccination in order to preserve the healthcare system.
On Sunday, February 28, Go joined President Duterte at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to personally witness the arrival of the 600,000 Sinovac vaccine doses donated by the Chinese government.
He said that the arrival of vaccines is also a testament to the Philippines’ strong diplomatic relations with other countries and multilateral organizations.
He reassured everyone the vaccine rollout will be continuous and that as soon as the first doses arrive, they will be available to priority groups.
“This will be continuing… What is important was the President wants to put this vaccination rollout in strategic places. On Wednesday, vaccines will be brought to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao on Friday, said Go.
Sen. Joel Villanueva said with 1,000 shots given, 100 million more to go. He said the journey of a hundred million shots begins with a single jab.
“But today’s events shouldn’t be seen as a mere symbolic start but as the start of something sustained, without let up, and in numbers increasing by the week,” he said.
“For that is how we can meaningfully mark the first year of the lockdown on March 15, by demonstrating our will to end Covid’s reign of terror, one injection at a time,” added Villanueva.