PHARMACIES and clinics in Cebu City can soon administer vaccines against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as part of the “Resbakuna sa Botika” initiative of the government to ramp up the number of vaccinated individuals.
The program will be launched in the cities of Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo in the coming days, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced during a press briefing on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.
However, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH 7) is still waiting for the guidelines, Chief Pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche told SunStar Cebu.
The DOH 7 is still planning for the implementation of the program, she said.
Loreche said this will help increase the vaccination rates in the city considering that pharmacies are “the go-to places” for people to purchase their medicines.
The Resbakuna sa Botika was first launched in seven pharmacies and clinics in Metro Manila.
Last week, Baguio City was the first local government unit outside the National Capital Region to roll out vaccination programs in pharmacies, said Nograles.
As of Jan. 30, data from the Visayas Vaccination Operations Center showed that 78.4 percent of Metro Cebu’s total eligible population had received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine while 67.8 percent were fully vaccinated.
Vaccination in Cebu City is currently carried out in malls, gyms, schools, a hotel, the Noah Complex and outside Cebu City Hall.