At the rate vaccination in Manila is going, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso is upbeat their target of herd immunity can be achieved by September.
Domagoso has ordered the vaccination of all Manila residents and even non-residents in their 22 sites from 6 am to 8 pm.
“We want to vaccinate as many people as we can and as fast as we can,” stressed Domagoso.
In accommodating non-residents, the Manila mayor said he wanted everybody to have access to Covid-19 vaccines so that everybody will gain protection from the coronavirus.
Last June 22, Manila posted anew the most number of vaccines administered at over 35,000. The vaccinees belonged to the A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 categories.
“Let’s jab them all!” This was the directive issued by Domagoso to all the vaccination teams in Manila.
Domagoso commended the members of the vaccinating teams—headed by Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna and Manila Health Department chief Dr. Arnold Pangan.
He attributed the fast pace of inoculating people to his decision to enforce an “open policy” allowing walk-ins.
Last June 22, Domagoso scrapped the “no walk-in policy” in the city’s vaccination program after it was implemented the same day due to the low turnout of people.
The Manila mayor lamented that only less than 5,000 showed up from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. out of the 28,000 that were texted that day for their scheduled vaccination.
The system, he said, proved to be a dismal failure.
With the walk-in policy, Domagoso noted they have been inoculating many people daily.
He said the logic behind the walk-in policy, they can immediately give jabs to those who were already at the vaccination sites.
He emphasized that they cannot wait for them to appear for their vaccination so he gave instructions to the Manila Health Department to allow walk-ins, even for non-Manila residents.
In this way, he said the Manila city government can make the vaccines accessible to everybody.
“I really do not believe in the scheduling system. I don’t believe in a ‘no walk-in policy,’ because vaccines should be made available to anybody,” also said Domagoso.
He once again called on everyone to avail of the free jabs, saying:
“Wherever it’s convenient or near you, that’s where you go. That’s why we set up more sites. What matters is you decided to get vaccinated and get protected.