Senator Bong Go challenged vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez and Health Secretary Franscisco Duque III to be the among the first to be injected with the COVID-19 vaccine once it is available in the country.

"I’m challenging Secretary Galvez, once the safe vaccine is already available he should show (to the people) along with Secretary Duque. They are the first who will be injected with the vaccine once it is already safe to encourage others," he said during the Laging Handa public briefing on Saturday.

Go emphasized the importance of assuring the safety of the vaccine because he said there are many people who are still afraid about the possible effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Its safety and efficacious is very important, the effectivity of the vaccine because many were still afraid... that's why we have to first assure the safety of this vaccine," he added.

Once the safety and effectivity of the vaccine has confirmed, Go called on Galvez to prioritize the vulnerable and poor sectors.

"I call Secretary Galvez to prioritize the poor, those that are vulnerable once it is already safe," he said.

"Those that should be prioritized are the poor, vulnerable, frontliners. Of course, they are the first responders on this fight. Soldiers and of course, our teachers, senior citizens that are really vulnerable and especially the indigent Filipino people who need to go out of their houses to work. They are exposed. So let's prioritize them and should be free for the poor," he added. Robina Asido/DMS