OVP's Vaccine Express Jabs Over 2,000 Drivers On Day 1

OVP’s Vaccine Express has inoculated over 2,000 drivers and riders

While vaccination is underway, many are still hesitant to get or are having a hard time accessing the COVID-19 vaccines. But thankfully, there have been initiatives such as the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) latest program called the Vaccine Express that aims to bring the vaccines closer to our communities, especially to the sectors that work on the ground such as tricycle, pedicab, and delivery riders.

Launched on 22nd June in partnership with the City of Manila and other organizations, the OVP’s Vaccine Express at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ parking lot has already vaccinated via a drive-thru service over 2,000 tricycle, pedicab drivers, and delivery riders since its Day 1.

Each driver and rider is given a P500 gas card

OVP Vaccine Express
Image credit: @lenirobredo

For the first roll-out, tricycle, pedicab, and delivery riders from Manila, as part of the A4 category, will be vaccinated until 23rd June.

OVP Vaccine Express - Gas Card
Image credit: @lenirobredo

Each vaccinated driver and rider is being given P500 gas cards, courtesy of the program’s partnership with SEAOIL Foundation, to encourage more workers from this group to get their jabs.

OVP Vaccine Express - vaccinated drivers
Image credit: @lenirobredo

The vaccination drive has already inoculated a total of 2,275 drivers and riders, as of writing.

According to Vice President Leni Robredo’s Facebook post, she wants to bring vaccination closer to our economic frontliners. “Gusto po nating ilapit at mas maging accessible iyong pagbabakuna sa mga economic frontliners,” which can be translated as “We want to make vaccines more accessible to our economic frontliners.”

Volunteer doctors and nurses are administering the vaccines

OVP Vaccine Express
Image credit: @lenirobredo

Volunteer doctors and nurses, such as those from the OVP’s earlier Bayanihan E-Konsulta initiative, are administering the vaccines. If you are interested to sign up as a volunteer for the succeeding days of the Vaccine Express, Robredo has also posted sign-up forms on her Facebook account.

OVP Vaccine Express
Image credit: @lenirobredo

The Vaccine Express may also be set up in other cities

We may also expect to see the Vaccine Express set up in other cities of Metro Manila. According to Robredo, she has received requests from other Metro Manila city governments to set up the Vaccine Express on their areas as well, and she is open to partnering with them as long as there are enough supplies.

“For us, we’re open to whichever local government unit is willing to partner with us,” Robredo said as reported on the Philippine Star. “Actually, many are already requesting, but our problem is really supplies.”

This vaccination drive has indeed been laudable, and while having significant supplies can be an issue, we hope that other LGUs can make this initiative also possible in their localities given that millions of vaccine doses are also expected to arrive in the Philippines.

OVP’s Vaccine Express

Making vaccines more accessible to communities that form a part of our economic frontliners as soon as possible is indeed crucial in curbing the rise of COVID-19.

We look forward to the collaboration of more government offices and other organizations to establish a vaccination drive that’s fast and easy such as the Office of the Vice President’s Vaccine Express.

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Cover image adapted from: @lenirobredo