Makati Mayor Binay apologizes over breach in COVID-19 vaccination protocol

Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay on Monday apologized over the viral video of a volunteer nurse failing to give a COVID-19 vaccine to a recipient, saying it was an honest mistake which has been promptly corrected.

“We acknowledge the video, it was a human error on the part of the volunteer nurse. It happened last June 25. June 26, the video was shown to us na hindi po siya (individual) nabakunahan, we apologize to the public [for this],” Binay said during the Palace briefing.

A viral video showed a health worker injecting a needle into the arm of a vaccine recipient without pushing the plunger, leaving the substance inside the syringe.

The mayor, however, appealed for understanding and caution on criticizing the volunteer nurse and the COVID-19 vaccination program.

“Maawa po tayo sa nurse, kusang-loob po siya naglaan ng kanyang oras, tao lang po, napapagod, naitama naman agad ang pagkakamali. Humihingi rin siya ng tawad and we are giving an assurance na hindi na uli mangyayari ito,” Binay pointed out.

(Let us be more compassionate to the nurse who volunteered her time.  The nurse is a human being who gets tired, the nurse apologized and this will not happen again.)

“Huwag na natin pagbintangan ng walang ebidenisya...para siraan ako, ang vaccination program ng Makati. Huwag natin gamitin ito para siraan ang vaccination program ng bansa,” she added.

(Let us not use the incident to throw accusations, to attack me or the credibility of the vaccination program.)

In a statement posted on Makati City's Facebook page, Binay said the incident was a result of “human error.”

She urged the public to “move on” and focus on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

The Department of Health earlier said it was investigating the incident, which it described as a “clear breach of vaccination protocol.”

The agency also vowed that “immediate improvements in the protocol shall be made to ensure we limit the chances of this from happening again.”

The Philippines has administered more than 10 million doses as of June 27, nearly four months since the launch of its inoculation campaign. A total of 2.5 million individuals have been fully vaccinated so far.

The government aims to vaccinate 50 million to 70 million people this year.—AOL, GMA News