GO TO GET VACCINATED AT SAME TIME AS DUTERTE

By Azer Parrocha

President Rodrigo Duterte (right) and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go (File photo)

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday said he will get vaccinated at the same as President Rodrigo Duterte.

While Duterte will have to listen to the advice of his physician as to which vaccine brand to get, Go said all he has to do is wait for the decision of the President and his doctor.

“Sabay po kami magpapabakuna. Inaantay ko lang po yung desisyon ng kaniyang doctor na sa darating na mga bakuna ano po yung suitable sa kaniyang kalusugan, sa kaniyang edad. Magse-76 na siya ngayong March 28 (We will get vaccinated at the same time. I’m only waiting for the decision of his doctor on what’s the most suitable vaccine for his health, for his age. He’s turning 76 on March 28),” he said in a radio interview. Go said Duterte will receive whatever vaccine brand his physician will recommend.

“Kung ano po yung sinabi ng doktor sa kanya, yun po ang ituturok sa kanya. Pero hindi na po kuwestyon kung magpapabakuna siya o hindi. Sure na po na magpapabakuna kasi kailangan po ipakita ng Pangulo na dapat pong magpabakuna ang ating kababayan (Whatever his

doctor says, that’s what will be injected on him. But it’s no question whether he’ll receive the vaccine or not. He’ll surely get vaccinated because he wants to show the public that it’s necessary to get vaccinated),” he added.

He also reiterated that Duterte will only decide on whether to relax the quarantine status nationwide to the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) after the vaccine rollout has kicked off.

On Feb. 22, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President prefers to get inoculated with a vaccine developed by state-run pharmaceutical company Sinopharm.

He said Duterte is qualified to receive vaccine shots from Sinopharm under the compassionate use license since he is the commander-in-chief of the military.

“It’s still being studied by the Malacañang legal office. If you ask me as a lawyer, he is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and he should be allowed to use the Sinopharm under the compassionate use Currently, Sinopharm has yet to secure an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines.

Duque, Galvez to get Sinovac

Meanwhile, Go said at least two Cabinet members --Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr.- will get vaccinated on Monday morning with the vaccine brand develop by China’s Sinovac Biotech to boost public confidence in the government’s immunization program.

He said Galvez will get vaccinated at the University of the PhilippinesPhilippine General Hospital (PGH) while Duque will get vaccinated at the Lung Center of the Philippines.

“Nakausap ko po si Secretary Galvez kahapon simultaneous po magpapabakuna si Seretary Galvez dito sa isang hospital, si Secretary Duque naman yata sa Lung Center po siya magpapabakuna (I spoke to Secretary Galvez yesterday and he said vaccination will be simultaneous. Secretary Galvez will get vaccinated in one hospital, Secretary Duque might get vaccinated at the Lung Center),” he said.

The first batch of 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by the Chinese government to the Philippines is expected to arrive in the country on Sunday afternoon.

Sinovac is the third vaccine brand to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) after Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, respectively.

“Yun po ang gagamitin nila bukas kasi wala pa naman pong ibang bakuna bukas ng umaga.

So mauuna na po sila magpapabakuna para ipakita po sa publiko na magtiwala po tayo sa ating gobyerno at sa ginagawa po ng ating gobyerno. Tanging bakuna lang ang pag-asa (That’s why they will use because there’s no other vaccine available tomorrow morning. So they’ll be first in line to show the public that we need to trust the government and what the government is doing),” he added. (PNA)

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