Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Precious Hipolito-Castelo urged the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to allow the homeowners associations of private subdivisions to conduct their own vaccination programs for their respective residents.
“This will ease congestion in most vaccination centers in Quezon City and other parts of Metro Manila.”
“This will ease congestion in most vaccination centers in Quezon City and other parts of Metro Manila. We are happy that many citizens are willing to get vaccinated despite some unresolved post-vaccination issues, but this problem of congestion is turning them away. They fear that they might get infected with the virus because of the lines and crowds in the vaccination centers,” she said.
As of now, inoculation sites “are so overcrowded that if there is one asymptomatic person waiting to get his or her shot, he or she could become a super spreader,” she added.
“Inoculation sites are so overcrowded that if there is one asymptomatic person waiting to get his or her shot, he or she could become a super spreader.”
With the approval of, and the vaccine supply from, the IATF-EID, Castelo said that homeowners associations are very willing to undertake their own inoculation projects for their respective residents.
“I am sure that villages will not lack volunteer doctors, nurses and other health professionals who would gladly help in the vaccine rollout. They might even have excess volunteers who would be willing to assist adjoining villages,” she stressed.
Castelo pointed out that her proposal, if adopted, would speed up the government’s vaccination program “especially when enough vaccines are already available because the new issues will be related to logistics, venue, personnel, among others matters.”
“At present, the program is moving at a snail’s pace. Even if there is sufficient vaccine supply, the government would not be able to attain its goal of inoculating at least 70 million Filipinos and achieving herd immunity this year,” she emphasized.
Castelo said allowing villages to vaccinate their homeowners and household members would mean fewer people going to existing vaccination centers.
“We owe it to our people to improve this system, and one way is to allow private subdivisions and private businesses as well to vaccinate their homeowners and employees,” she concluded.