President has yet to get shot

President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to receive Covid-19 vaccine contrary to speculations, the Palace said Monday.

In a televised briefing, Duterte’s spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque denied rumors that the 75-year-old Chief Executive had been injected with a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine, along with his security detail.

“That is only a speculation,” Roque said.

The Palace official, meanwhile, said Duterte may still go first for a coronavirus vaccine to boost public confidence.

“It depends on what he thinks is right,” he said.

Duterte, in his meeting with members of the pandemic task force last week said he and his Cabinet members should go last in the vaccine queue, emphasizing that medical workers should be prioritized in the state’s immunization program.

“Our priority is the uniformed personnel, soldiers along with other priority sectors. The poor should go first. If there are million vaccine shots, then receive it simultaneously,” he said.

“If there will be left for us, (Senator) Bong (Go,) (Secretary Delfin) Lorenzana, if there will be doses left for us, then it will be for us,” Duterte added.

The chief executive said this despite his previous pronouncements that he wants to be the first Filipino to be inoculated in public to allay concerns over Covid-19 vaccine safety.

A recent Pulse Asia survey found that nearly half of 47 percent of 2,400 Filipino respondents will reject Covid-19 vaccine even if it becomes available as the majority of them are concerned about its safety. Meanwhile, 32 percent said they would get vaccinated and 21 percent were undecided.

The survey showed that concern about the safety of the vaccines is the primary reason for those who will reject it. Such sentiment was highest in Metro Manila.