Senator Christopher “Bong” Go urged national and local government authorities to exert all efforts to expedite the vaccine rollout by bringing it down to communities and households especially for senior citizens who cannot leave their homes.

His appeal came as the country received more than two million more doses of Covid-19 vaccines on Thursday, June 10, and is expected to receive more than 10 million doses this month.

“Bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Health, nananawagan ako na dalhin natin agad ang bakuna sa taumbayan, simula sa mga critical areas, sa NCR plus 8, at kahit saan mang sulok ng ating bansa upang marating natin ang herd immunity bago matapos ang taon (As chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I’m appealing that we bring immediately the vaccines to the people, starting from the critical areas, in NCR Plus 8, and wherever place in the country so we can achieve herd immunity before the year ends),” Go said in a statement.

“Importante po’y huwag kalimutan ‘yung mga kababayan nating mga essential workers, ‘yung mga economic front-liners, ‘yung mga kababayan nating mahihirap, pinakasulok po ng Pilipinas ay dapat pong maabot din po pagdating ng panahon. Importante pong maabot natin ‘yung herd immunity sa community para hindi na po kumalat ang sakit na Covid-19 (We mustn’t forget our essential workers, the economic front-liners, our poor countrymen. Every corner of the Philippines should be reached when the time comes. It is important that we attain herd immunity in the community to curb the spread of Covid-19),” he added.

The senator expressed his optimism that the vaccination of essential workers, or those in the A4 priority group, will aid in the recovery of the economy.

“Kapag nabakunahan na po ang essential sectors o A4 category, kung saan kasama ang mga ordinaryong manggagawa na kailangang lumabas upang magtrabaho at buhayin ang pamilya, mas mapapabilis ang pagbangon ng ating ekonomiya (If the essential sectors or the A4 category, where the ordinary worker who goes outside to work to take care of his family has been vaccinated, the economy would quickly recover),” Go said.

Go also continues to remind local government units to intensify their local vaccination campaigns to encourage constituents especially top priority groups who remain hesitant to get inoculated.

As the country’s vaccination program gains momentum, Go warned against complacency in terms of complying with health protocols.

He urged all Filipinos to cooperate and remain vigilant against Covid-19 as the country rolls out its mass vaccination campaign.

Go also renewed his call to Filipinos not to fear the vaccines but fear the deadly virus instead, saying “Huwag ho kayong matakot sa bakuna dahil ligtas at epektibo naman ang mga ito. May mga risk man tulad po ng ibang mga gamot, higit naman po na mas mapanganib ang mahawaan po ng sakit na Covid-19 (Don’t be scared of vaccination because it is safe and effective. If there are risks, like any other medicine, it is more dangerous to get infected with Covid-19).”

Meanwhile, Go shared the enthusiasm of many economic front-liners and essential workers to get vaccinated as he urged others to follow suit.

He asked the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to ensure that essential workers and economic front-liners get vaccinated so the program may soon expand to poor and indigent Filipinos belonging in the A5 category who are next in line on the priority list.

“[N]akikiusap po ako sa ating national task force, IATF na siguraduhin pong mabakunahan po ‘yung mga economic front-liners, ‘yung mga essential workers, at papunta rin po doon sa mga kababayan nating mga mahihirap po, ‘yung mga isang kahig, isang tuka na kailangan pong lumabas ng pamamahay at binubuhay po ang kanilang mga pamilya (I’m pleading with our national task force, IATF to make sure that our economic front-liners, those essential workers, are vaccinated. Let them go to our poor countrymen who try to survive every day by going out and work to take care of their families),” he said.

On June 4, Go delivered a speech as the government opened inoculations to eligible economic front-liners belonging to the A4 priority group in a ceremony in Pasay City.

During the event, Go lauded the government’s efforts to accelerate the vaccine program and appealed to the public to support the vaccine rollout. (PNA)