President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said he wanted government agencies to bring Covid-19 vaccination to the slum areas, stressing that “mobile” vaccination would provide easy access to poor families who do not have means to travel to hospitals.

Duterte said all government agencies could contribute by deploying “traveling units” that will go to slum areas and provide immunization.

“We’re thinking of going mobile, kayo na ang pumunta (you go there) or if you are near the barangay you just wait kasi ang order ko ngayon (because my order now) is for the team to give you the vaccine while traveling. Marami tayong sasakyan (We have lots of vehicles). We will use all government assets,” he said in a pre-recorded public address.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said bringing vaccination to the slums would pose challenges such as lack of manpower to monitor the vaccine’s side effects on recipients.

“Ang problema lang po na nakikita ko po ngayon, kung dadalhin yung bakuna sa kanila kakailanganin ng po napaka maraming taong magmo-monitor for adverse effects following immunization (A problem I can see now is that if we bring the vaccines there, we will need a lot of people to monitor for adverse effects following immunization),” Duque said.

After vaccination, he said, all recipients must be observed for at least 30 minutes to one hour to detect and immediately respond to any serious side effects that may occur.

Duque also noted that a list of hospitals and rural health units (RHUs) where vaccination could take place has already been prepared.

“Kaya po ang ginagawa natin sa fixed site implementing units like RHUs and hospitals at least dun po mababantayan maramihan. Kasi kung isa-isahin po natin sa mga lugar nila, kulang po tayo sa tao para magmonitor sir (That’s why we’re doing it in fixed sites implementing units like RHUs and hospitals, at least we can monitor many of them at the same time. Because if we go to these areas one by one, we will lack people assigned to monitor),” he said.

Duterte, however, insisted that asking low-income individuals, especially those who had to stay home to take care of their children, to show up at hospitals would give them more reason not to get inoculated.

“If you use that argument na wala tayong tao, e yung nandito nga sa mga barangay na mahihirap hindi talaga mabakunahan (that we don’t have enough people then poor people in barangays will really have difficulty getting vaccinated). That’s the problem,” he said.

Duque compared the current vaccination setup where individuals show up at hospitals and RHUs to that of voters going to precincts or polling places to cast their votes.

“Naka-plano na po. May mga pangalan na po ‘yan parang mga botante. Meron na po silang mga assignment kumbaga sa voting precinct, meron na din silang assignment kung saan sila babakunahan (There’s a plan. The names are already prepared. They have assignments just like voting precincts, they have assignments where they will get vaccinated),” he said.

Duterte eventually said he was “satisfied” with Duque’s response and suggested providing transportation for poor individuals scheduled to get vaccinated.

“Who will take care of that problem? Yung hindi maka ano (Those who can’t travel)? Either we provide the transportation,” he said.

He reminded agencies to ensure that the integrity of the vaccines will not be compromised in transporting them to the slums.

“Just make sure that I said the integrity of the vaccine is not compromised. Baka ma-mishandle, misplace, mismanage yung team (The team might mishandle, misplace of mismanage the vaccines) then there’s always the danger that the vaccine given will be put to a naught,” he said.

Meanwhile, Duterte promised Filipinos that nobody, especially the poor, will be left behind in the vaccination drive.

“I will just say to my countrymen that do not despair. Kaya natin itong Covid na ito. Maliit na bagay ito sa buhay natin. Marami tayong dinaanan mas grabe, mas mahirap, mas naluluha kay. I know. Lahat kayo, lalo na yung mga kababayan ko nandiyan sa squatter area. Lahat kayo, huwag kayo matakot at hindi ko kayo iwanan (We can handle this Covid. This is a something small. We have been through a lot worse, a lot harder, more painful. All of you, especially those in the squatter areas. Don’t be afraid because we won’t leave you behind),” he said.

Duterte reassured poor Filipinos that they will be among the priorities in the government’s national vaccination program after frontline healthcare workers and senior citizens.

“Pag natapos na yung health workers, kayo na ang sunod (After health workers, you’re next),” he said. (PNA)