Solon suggests allowing villages, subdivisions to do own vaccinations for residents

Quezon City Representative Precious Hipolito Castelo on Friday suggested to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow subdivisions or villages to do their own vaccination for their residents.

In a statement, Castelo said this measure would help in easing congestion in vaccination sites in Quezon City as well as in other parts of the National Capital Region.

"We are happy that many citizens are willing to get vaccinated despite some unresolved post-vaccination issues, but this problem of congestion is turning them away. They fear they might get the virus in the centers,” Castelo said.

"We owe it to our people to improve this system, and one way is to allow private villages and businesses to vaccinate their homeowners and employees," she added.

If approved by the national government, Castelo said she believes homeowners’ associations would be willing to conduct their own inoculation programs for their residents.

"I am sure that villages will not lack volunteer doctors, nurses and other health professionals who could help in the vaccination. They might even have excess volunteers who could assist adjoining villages," Castelo said.

She noted that this would also hasten the government's entire vaccination program, especially if supply of COVID-19 vaccines is enough.

"At present, the program is moving at a snail’s pace. Even if there is sufficient vaccine supply, the government would not be able to attain its goal of inoculating at least 70 million Filipinos and achieving herd immunity this year," Castelo said.

So far, more than 1.2 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have been administered as of April 13, according to the Department of Health and the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

A total of 1,093,651 people have gotten their first shot and 162,065 individuals have received both doses since the start of the rollout on March 1, the agencies said. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News