Have you been struggling to get a COVID-19 vaccination appointment? Well, here’s some news to brighten up your day: Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Benhur Abalos said that Metro Manila local government units (LGUs) have agreed to vaccinate each other’s residents.
According to GMA News Online, Abalos explained that COVID-19 vaccine recipients will have to set a schedule first and obtain a QR code to get the jab from an National Capital Region (NCR) LGU.
“Now we are going to vaccinate as one,” he said. “So napagkasunduan na magkaroon ng QR code na yung mga labas namin na hindi resident ng LGU ay puwedeng magpabakuna (We have agreed to have a QR code so that those who are not residents of an LGU can be accommodated for vaccination),” he added.
Not a resident of an NCR city? Well, don’t worry. Abalos said that they’re planning to expand this vaccination plan to nearby provinces such as Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite. In turn, NCR LGUs will have a uniform registration process for COVID-19 vaccination. This will certainly lessen the confusion, and hopefully, speed up the whole process.
Not long ago, Marikina Mayor Mayor Marcelino Teodoro called for collaboration in vaccination among the local government units to achieve herd immunity in the region. He said that the people who usually go to Metro Manila for work, school and trade should also be covered by Metro Manila’s vaccination efforts.
Given the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases, especially the Delta variant, across the country, it’s only practical that LGUs work together to help more people get vaccinated. The vaccine doesn’t necessarily guarantee you won’t get infected with the disease, but it does lower your chances of getting hospitalized or worse, dying because of the virus. At the end of the day, that’s the collective goal, right?
