Manila eyeing Covid-19 vaccination for 18,000 residents per day

(The Straits Times/Asia News Network/CHONG JUN LIANG/ file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — The City of Manila is eyeing to vaccinate 18,000 residents per day against Covid-19 once the vaccines become available.

Manila Health Officer Arnold Pangan on Friday said the city government has identified 18 vaccination cites, which will attend to 1,000 residents per day.

“Our target per site is 1,000 vaccinees per day. In one day, we are expecting na mayroon kaming 18,000 [vaccinees]. That’s our daily target,” he said in his presentation of Manila’s vaccination plan.

The city government has over 670,000 residents included in its vaccination masterlist.

Of the total, 13,156 are frontliners, 157,679 are senior citizens, 500,351 are indigents while 4,879 are uniformed personnel.

The city government has also 12 vaccine refrigerators, which can store about 700,000 to 800,000 doses at any given time.

“Anumang klaseng brand ng bakuna, kaya po namin ilagay dito,” Pangan said.

Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said the city government can still augment the number of vaccination sites to up to 60 if needed but will only do so once it has “perfected” the vaccination process.

“Sixteen to 18 sites lang [muna] para may buffer and room for improvement and innovation bago talagang lumayad nang husto,” he said.

“Siguro naman ‘yung initial deployment marami na kami matututunan sa actual kasi iba ‘yung practice, iba ‘yung actual,” he added.

The vaccination will also be conducted seven days a week.

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