Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said today, February 2, that is not encouraging the mayors of Negros Occidental to buy 100 percent of their COVID-19 vaccines needs since the national government has already assured them of supply.
“Let’s take the word of the national government that they will take care everybody…but if some LGUs want to buy vaccines that’s fine,” Lacson said.
“As far as the municipalities, if they say that they do not have funds, I will understand that and we will just make sure that these LGUs will be covered by the roll out of the national government,” Lacson said.
However, he said one cannot choose the brand of the vaccine to be allocated by the national government.
Lacson said at today’s Zoom meeting with Secretary Carlito Galvez, the country’s vaccine czar, it was made clear that the national government will vaccinate 70 percent of the country’s population.
The remaining 30 percent is not included in the vaccine roll out because they belong to the 17 and below age group, he said.
Those 17 years old and below will not be included because they were not included in the clinical trials for the vaccine yet, he said.
The governor is set to hold a Zoom meeting with the mayors of Negros Occidental tomorrow, February 3.
“I would like to find out if there are any LGUs willing to purchase the vaccines,” he said.
The provincial government has already entered into a multilateral agreement for the purchase of 100,000 doses of AstraZenca vaccines for 50,000 persons, with priority to be given to frontliners and Capitol employees.
The governor said a second multilateral agreement would include LGUs and the private sector who have signified that they would like to buy COVID-19 vaccines.*