ILOILO CITY –– The Iloilo City government has launched a massive campaign to encourage residents to be inoculated when the COVID-19 vaccines arrive in the second half of the year.
The city government has also submitted its vaccination plan to the Department of Health and will hold a second simulation on March 3.
City Mayor Jerry Treñas has been meeting with leaders and representatives of various sectors to request their support in the awareness campaign.
These include church leaders, news organizations, market vendors, school principals, and transport leaders.
“I met with the different sectors in the city to inform them of the current status of our COVID-19 vaccine procurement and asked for their help to spread awareness of its importance. I appeal for support [to] our COVID-19 immunization so we can finally revive the economy,” he said in a statement.
The city government has allotted P200 million for the vaccines and aims to inoculate around 300,000 residents and 100,000 non-residents working in the city.
It has entered into a tripartite agreement with the national government and British drugmaker AstraZeneca for 600,000 doses for residents and an additional 200,000 for non-residents.
The city government is making an advance payment to help ensure the delivery of the vaccine.
“The AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and is being used in the European Union,” Treñas said in a video interview released by the city government.
He said the delivery of vaccines is expected to start in July by batches and targeted to be completed by December.
Treñas said he and other city officials would be among the first to be inoculated to show there is nothing to worry about the vaccines. “This is also a way to gain confidence and revive our economy,” he said.
The inoculation will prioritize medical and government frontliners and those 60 years old and above.
“We appeal to Ilonggos to be vaccinated. We cannot get out of this situation with masks and physical distancing. The only way we can go back to normal is to be immunized,” the mayor said.