Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go reiterated his call for the government to continue its collaborative efforts with the private sector and other stakeholders to ensure that vaccines and booster shots against Covid-19 reach the people who need them and avoid expiration or wastage.
Go — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Health — stressed that the national government and local government units should intensify collaborative efforts to get citizens to avail of free Covid-19 vaccines and booster shots.
He also asked the public not to be complacent despite the improving pandemic situation, noting that Covid-19 is still around.
Meanwhile, Go said that the Committee on Health is prepared to conduct a hearing if Senate Resolution 92 filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros is referred to the committee. The said resolution seeks to look into reports on the supposed wastage of billions of pesos worth of Covid-19 vaccines.
“As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, once the resolution is referred to us, we will immediately conduct a hearing on the status of our Covid-19 response including the reported expiring vaccines,” he added.
Meanwhile, in line with his filed resolution to look into the country’s preparedness against monkeypox, Go said that he will also ask the Department of Health on the steps they have taken and inform the public of the necessary health protocols considering the first recorded case of monkeypox in the country.
“All these issues will be discussed and should be answered by our health authorities and experts during the Committee on Health hearings,” said the senator.
To recall, Go, together with Senator Robinhood Padilla, filed Senate Resolution 84 directing the Health and Demography Committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the preparedness of the country to contain and suppress monkeypox which has been declared by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern, with the end view of preventing the overburdening of the healthcare system.