Villanueva: No one should be denied access to COVID-19 vaccine

Every Filipino has the right to be immunized from COVID-19 once a vaccine becomes available, Senator Joel Villanueva said on Friday.

"No one should be discriminated from accessing the vaccine. It’s the obligation of the State to support the right to health," Villanueva declared in a message to reporters.

However, President Rodrigo Duterte said in a televised address earlier that drug pushers and drug lords would not be vaccinated

"Drug pusher, wala kayo," Duterte, who launched the so-called war on drugs, said.

"'Yun ang utos ko. 'Yan ang gusto ko. Hindi maganda? Hindi talaga maganda. Mga tao, hindi pala tao sila, tingin ko [sa] mga drug pusher, drug lord, aso. Tingin ko sa kanila... hindi ako magtulong sa inyo, sinisira niyo ang Pilipinas, pinapatay niyo ang tao," he added.

The communist rebels have a chance to receive shots if they "stop fighting," according to Duterte.

"Even if you announce that you are an NPA, it's okay. Wala munang... pagamot ka muna, pa-vaccinate ka, para mahusay kang lumaban sa puwersa ko," he said.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said 20 million Filipinos will be provided with a COVID-19 vaccine for free. The poorest of the poor will be prioritized as the government commits P20 billion for vaccines at $10 per dose.

Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, chair of the Senate committee on health, agreed that the marginalized sectors must be prioritized.

"Unahin 'yung mga mahihirap... sila po [ay] most vulnerable. Ibig ko sabihin, sila ‘yung andiyan sa kalye at sila po ‘yung madaling tamaan ng sakit na kadalasan po asymptomatic na hindi nila alam ay tinamaan na sila ng virus dahil hindi sila makapag-test kaya napapabayaan," he said in a statement.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also stressed it is imperative that a budget is allocated for the COVID-19 vaccine in Congress' deliberations on the 2021 General Appropriations Act.

"My own estimate we will be needing approximately 230 billion to buy 100 million vaccines," he said.

"We have to be ready with the money to buy because it’s important that we have the financial capability to buy the vaccine in case it comes already," he added.

The Philippines has yet to enter into a final agreement when it comes to the number of anti-COVID-19 vaccines that will be available to Filipinos, according to the Department of Health.

Exercise prudence, learn from Dengvaxia

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to exercise rigor in approving COVID-19 vaccines that will be given to Filipinos, according to Villanueva.

Citing information from the World Health Organization, the senator said six vaccines are in the third phase of clinical trials.

"Not to be overly optimistic, we wish that there will be transparency in the experimental results of these vaccines," he said.

"We know the urgency to have a vaccine as soon as possible but there are risks attached to fast-tracking the development of vaccines that normally takes 10 years to produce," he added.

Senator Nancy Binay also said the DOH should learn from the Dengvaxia experience.

"When it comes to vaccines, government must take the right approach to public health safety, and provide the highest degree of prudence. Although it is very encouraging to know that there are vaccines being developed, the public needs more information as to how these work and respond, and the potential risks they may have," she said.

Binay underscored that immunization is just one aspect of protecting the public's health.

"Pagdating sa prevention, mas mahalaga pa rin ang pagpapatupad ng sensible, basic health protocols tulad ng social distancing, pagsusuot ng face mask, at paghuhugas ng kamay," she said.

According to Duterte, the situation in the country will normalize by December because a COVID-19 vaccine will be released soon.  — DVM, GMA News