DILG orders LGUs to have their own vaccination plans

(FILE) DRY RUN Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso participates in a Covid-19 vaccination simulation exercise at the Universidad de Manila. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday ordered local government units (LGUs) to craft their respective local vaccination plans to help disseminate critical information on the Covid-19 mass vaccination program.

In a statement, DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the LGU vaccination plans must also include “a master list of priority eligible vaccine population; identification of possible vaccine centers, available cold chain storages, and other logistical requirements; and a master list of existing human resources and personnel needed in the vaccination program.”

“This Covid-19 vaccination will be the biggest of such program sa ating kasaysayan kaya ating hinihikayat ang mga LGU na ihanda na ang kanilang mga vaccination plan for we need this to be as smooth as possible sapagkat buhay ng ating mga mamamayan ang nakasalalay dito,” Malaya further said.

(The Covid-19 vaccination will be the biggest of such programs in our history so we urge the LGUs to prepare their vaccination plan for we need this to be as smooth as possible because our countrymen’s lives depend on this.)

Malaya also noted that the LGUs’ vaccination plans should comply with Department of Health (DOH) guidelines on the National Vaccination Program and coordinate closely with their respective DOH-Centers for Health Development in preparing their respective plans.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. previously announced that the first Covid-19 vaccine doses in the country will arrive by the end of February.

As of Wednesday, the Philippines has logged a total of 505,939 coronavirus disease infections,28,904  active cases, 10,042 deaths, and 466,993 recoveries.

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