Sotto asks IATF to probe LGU COVID-19 vaccination controversy

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday exhorted the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to investigate controversies hounding the  COVID-19 vaccination in some local government units.

"There are similar complaints from others in other LGUs. The IATF should investigate and exercise sanctions," he told Senate media in a Viber message, reacting to the viral video on a vaccinator who breached COVID-19 inoculation protocols in Makati City.

Sotto also earlier reacted to the videos in a tweet: "Vaccination boo-boo! It's all over. Check the videos. Quo Vadis Philippines?"

Vaccination boo-boo! It's all over. Check the videos. Quo Vadis Philippines?

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) June 29, 2021

A video shared on social media showed a health worker in Makati City injecting a needle into the arm of a vaccine recipient without pushing the plunger, causing the contents to remain inside the syringe.

In a previous statement, Makati Mayor Abby Binay apologized, adding that it was an honest mistake which has been promptly corrected.

In a "24 Oras" report of Lei Alviz, Eken Afuang Masunaga said a similar incident happened to him during his vaccination in Mandaluyong.

However, Matsunaga said he has no plans to sue the local government, adding that he received proper vaccination from the LGU after the faulty inoculation.

"Wala pong nangyaring kapabayaan ang nabakunahan. (There were no lapses in the vaccination.)," said Matsunaga.

The Department of Health (DOH) has yet to comment on the botched Mandaluyong vaccination but it earlier mentioned guidelines for vaccination to avoid human error.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said vaccination teams must limit the work hours and regularly rotate health workers so they can rest and avoid mistakes. 

Mobilize more vaccinators

In another statement, Senator  Risa Hontiveros said DOH and LGUs should increase vaccinators to avoid burnout among health workers.

"Our HCWs (health care workers) are exhausted physically and emotionally. They are more prone to human errors because of the increased stress related to the pandemic," she lamented.

Hontiveros also took issue with understaffed vaccination centers which could be difficult to reach the government's target of vaccinating half a million people daily.

"At this rate, we are not even doing the recommended 500,000 vaccinations a day. I am very concerned that some of our kababayans may not be receiving their long-awaited shots properly," the senator said.—Consuelo Marquez/LDF, GMA News