Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go acknowledged there are still some who have safety concerns about the vaccine being developed for COVID-19.

This is why Go said Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer and vaccine czar, will have to make sure that the vaccine the government will buy will be safe and effective.

"Napakaimportante na safe ito, at ang efficacy nito. Dahil marami pa pong takot. Sa kakaikot ko tinatanong ko sila, may mga nagtataas ng kamay, may mga nag-aalanganin pa. Kaya dapat unahin ang safety ng vaccine na ito," he said the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.

(It is important for it to be safe and effective. I've been asking people around, many are raising doubts about the vaccine. This is why we need to make sure that the vaccine is safe to use.)

Go said Galvez and Health Secretary Fransisco Duque III should be the first to try the vaccine to assure the public of its safety.

"I'm challenging Sec. Galvez once available na ang vaccine along with Sec. Duque sila ang unang magpapaturok ng vaccine to encourage [the public]," he said.

(I'm challenging Sec. Galvez and Sec. Duque to be the first to be injected to encourage the people to take the vaccine.)

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Go said the government has been outlining a road map for the delivery of the vaccines.

Once it is proven safe, those will be distributed to those exposed or most vulnerable to the disease.

"Dapat unahin ang poor, vulnerable, frontliners of course sila ang nangunguna sa laban na ito sundalo, of course mga guro natin, mga senior citizens, especially yung indigents Filipino na kailangang lumabas magtrabaho maghanap buhay po," Go said.

"Dapat po maging libre po ito sa mga mahihirap."

(Those on top of the list should be the poor, the vulnerable, frontliners, they are at the forefront of our fight. The soldiers, of course, our teachers, especially the indigents, those who have to go out to work. It should be free of charge for the poor.)

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