SENATOR and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher “Bong” Go reminded local government units and those managing vaccination centers to implement efficient procedures in inoculation.

He also urged government to increase and spread out authorized vaccination spots to shorten waiting time and avoid crowding of individuals scheduled to be inoculated at a certain time. In addition to ensuring that the vaccination centers are accessible to all, Go pointed out that a sufficient number of centers must be available at any given time to avoid bottlenecks or delays in the vaccination rollout.

 “While we want to vaccinate as many people as we can, we still need to ensure their health and safety while they are in the process of getting vaccinated,” he said.

Go also reminded the Department of Health (DOH), LGUs, and other concerned authorities to clearly communicate their vaccination protocols to avoid inconvenience and delay in the rollout.

 “Dapat siguraduhin natin na we are conducting the inoculation in an orderly manner, so we can ensure everyone’s health while they are receiving the vaccines. Ang main goal natin ngayon is to flatten the curve and vaccinate as many Filipinos in accordance with the priority list,” stressed Go.

He maintained that the order of priority must be strictly followed, and no one should be given VIP or special treatment when it comes to vaccination.

 “Dapat sumunod tayo sa priority list na nilatag ng gobyerno para sundin rin po ng lahat ang ating mga patakaran. Ayaw ko na mayro’ng magpapa-VIP, lalung lalo na po dito sa pagbabakuna. Unahin muna natin ang mga frontliners. Tapusin muna natin silang mabakunahan. Kung tapos na po sila o nag-yield na ‘yung iba, ibig sabihin, ayaw nilang magpabakuna, saka na po bababa doon sa mga … A2, A3, senior citizens at itong mga may comorbidities,” he added.

He assured that if the priority list is followed, it will be faster for the country to vaccinate the rest of the population and eventually achieve herd immunity.

 “Dapat ma-consume na rin po ‘yang mga (available na) bakuna para po maayos ang rollout… naka-spread all around the country, especially sa NCR Plus na talagang umaangat ‘yung numero. So, dapat po’y bilisan natin ang pagbabakuna,” he continued.

Go encouraged the public to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. He urged everyone to educate themselves about the vaccines, particularly with regard to their safety and efficacy, and to rely on the verified information released by the proper authorities and health experts.

 “Sabi ko nga, magtiwala kayo sa bakuna. Huwag kayong matakot sa bakuna. Matakot kayo sa COVID-19. Ang bakuna po ang tanging solusyon o susi natin dito para malampasan natin itong problemang ito … bakuna po ang tanging paraan na ma-attain po natin ‘yung herd immunity sa community,” explained Go.

Meanwhile, Go urged the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with authorities to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. He encouraged everyone to trust the government and support the National COVID-19 Vaccine Roadmap.

 “Magtiwala tayo na ginagawa ng gobyerno ang lahat para labanan ang pandemya na ito. Lahat ng ating ginagawa ay para sa kabutihan ninyo kaya patuloy lang tayong magmalasakit para hindi tayo magkasakit. Tandaan natin na ang pagsunod sa patakaran ay makapagliligtas ng buhay natin at ng ating kapwa Pilipino,” he continued.

Amid the adverse impact of the pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of Filipinos, Go said that a whole-of-nation approach is necessary to help unburden citizens, particularly the poor and vulnerable sectors.

“Kailangan po ang kooperasyon ng lahat sa laban na ito kontra COVID-19. Hindi lang ito laban ng gobyerno kundi laban ng buong sambayanan — ng buong mundo. Hindi po ito panahon para magsisihan. Panahon ito upang magtulungan,” he said.