As a senior citizen, President Duterte will be among the first to be prioritized under government’s vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which is set to start this month, Malacañang said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement as he announced that the government is “100 percent ready” for the vaccine rollout with the first batch of vaccines from the COVAX Facility arriving next week.
“Ang Presidente (The President) will enjoy priority dahil nga po siya ay (since he is a) senior citizen,” he said.
Senior citizens are the second on the government’s vaccination priority list next to healthcare workers.
According to Roque, President Duterte wants to be one of the first Filipinos to receive the vaccine to boost the confidence of the public.
“Importante rin po na magpabakuna siya para sa vaccine confidence. So inaasahan natin na isa siya sa pinaka-una,” he said.
“The issue is if he will do it public or privately and that’s his right. Pero yung pagpapabakuna po niya is intended to tell everyone na ang bakuna ay ligtas at epektibo kapag inissuehan po ng EUA ng ating gobyerno,” he added.
President Duterte has expressed willingness to be the first Filipino to receive a vaccine jab in the Philippines.
However, Roque said last month that Duterte will receive the vaccine in private and will be injected into his buttocks. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
