The Makati City government is providing frontliners and essential workers free flu and pneumonia shots to boost their immune system during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Abigail Binay said the immunization program would cover all 9,706 city hall employees, but she has ordered the Health Department to prioritize city doctors, nurses and health personnel.
Also included were city workers engaged in public safety, rescue, social welfare, sanitation and other essential services.
“By immunizing our frontliners and essential work force against these two potentially deadly diseases of the respiratory system, we aim to strengthen their resistance to SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 infection,” she said.
To date, some 5,130 frontliners and essential workers have received flu shots, and will be vaccinated for pneumonia in August.
Binay said aside from the free flu and pneumonia vaccination, the city government is also offering free vitamins, including Vitamin C and B-complex, to personnel who have been reporting for duty even during the enhanced community quarantine.
The trivalent flu shots that cover three strains of influenza (influenza A or H1N1, influenza A or H3N2, and influenza B) were first administered to frontliners at MHD, Ospital ng Makati, Veterinary Services Department, Department of Environmental Services, Makati Public Safety Department, Makati Action Center, Social Welfare Department, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Office of the Mayor, and Finance Department.
The Department of Health earlier recommended the use of flu and pneumonia vaccines to prevent the complications caused by COVID-19.
It also reminded the public not to be complacent since there is no vaccine yet against COVID-19.
The city council recently approved an ordinance to protect frontliners against discrimination and stigmatization since they are at high risk of contracting communicable and infectious diseases such as COVID-19.