DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the Covid-19 vaccination in Davao City is not on a "first come, first served" basis.
"Wala ta naga-first come, first served. Naga-[require] gihapon tag [scheduling] because ginapanigurado nato nga ang tanang muadto didto (vaccination site), makuha nila ilang bakuna gyud (It is not on a first come, first served because we still require scheduling. This is to ensure that those who go to the vaccination site will get their vaccine)," Duterte-Carpio said on Monday, August 2, in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
On July 28, Facebook page Barangay Buhangin Proper Announcement and Information page posted that there will be a distribution of the first dose of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Janssen Covid-19 vaccine on July 29 and 30, 2021 from 7 a.m. to 12 noon at Buhangin Central Elementary School for Priority Groups A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities).
The post, in all caps, stated that the vaccination will be “first come, first served basis.”
On Friday morning, July 30, several netizens posted on social media photos and videos of a long queue outside the Buhangin vaccination site as early as 6 a.m.
The City Health Office (CHO) and the district health offices are currently spearheading the vaccination rollout.
“Kung ang ato (If our) district health offices, wala sila’y announcement nga ingon ana, then dili dayon mutuo ang mga tao (did not make such announcement, then the public should not immediately believe it),” she said.
Duterte-Carpio said the City is strictly prohibiting walk-ins and that vaccines must register with their respective district health offices or through the Safe Davao QR (DQR) Code app.
The mayor said this is to avoid crowding within the vaccination center.
"Kanang pagtapok sa mga tao sa (Mass gatherings within) vaccine center is a potential source pud sa pagtakod-takod sa (of transmission of the) Covid-19 virus. We need to control people sa atoang (at our) vaccination center," she said.
Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser, on Friday, July 30, said there was a miscommunication between CHO and the barangay, which resulted in the long lines.
“Wala ta nagabuhat kasi ang (We do not allow this because) first come, first served, is technically murag walk in. We do not, long time ago, wala nato gina-permit (do not permit this),” Schlosser said.
The official admitted that many people lined up at Buhangin Central since the site is administering the Janssen single-shot Covid-19 vaccine.
Schlosser admitted that some Dabawenyos prefer the vaccine as they only need to be jabbed once.
Due to the limited allocated supply of J&J vaccines in Davao City, the 14,400 doses will be prioritized for A2 and A3, especially from the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (Gida).
The City Government started rolling out the J&J vaccines on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at Dizon Elementary School, Malagos Elementary School, Paquibato District Hospital, Calinan Central Elementary School, Davao City National High School, Gaisano Mall (GMall) of Bajada, GMall Toril, SM City Ecoland, and Buhangin Central.
Meanwhile, Schlosser said the City Government is currently improving the vaccination registration process to give fairness in the vaccine prioritization and to avoid commotions.
The City Government recently conducted a pilot testing for the vaccination appointment system of the DQR app, wherein vaccinees who are still waiting for the schedule of their Covid-19 vaccination can soon choose their preferred date and time.