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Who’s ready for vaccination?

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As if the world is not in great trouble with the raging coronavirus pandemic, it is now also faced with the possibility of two countries going to war with each other! And this is due to an incident where Iran and South Korea got into odds with each other because the former seized a tanker of the latter that it accused of polluting its waters. Will the two get  to war over the matter? Calmer heads in the United Nations should tell them to concentrate on eradicating the COVID 19, rather than getting into a shooting or bombing match.

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Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is still on lockdown status because the virus seems to continue its ravages among its people. Its president, Boris Johnson, is very concerned, being a COVID survivor himself. One wonders  how this new  virus from China could inflict so much harm to so many countries after it surfaced in the place called Wuhan there. Some malicious people have claimed that the virus was purposely spread all over by former victims but who would believe that? If you were a victim, would you have the energy to travel around the world spreading your malady?

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I though the election in the United States was over after Joe Biden was declared winner over incumbent Donald Trump. Seems, however, that Trump cannot accept defeat, and is figuratively moving heaven and earth to reverse the results, in his favor! Only about two weeks are left before the winner, Joe Biden, takes over, so what more can he do to change the results? Trump is reportedly calling on Republicans to “find” more ballots that could make him the winner, but his partymates seem indifferent to his pleas. Well, he had his turn at the White House, even if it was only for one term. As Madame Hillary Clinton summed it up, he wants to keep the job he has not even been doing, and many agreed with her.

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But the raging controversy over here in our country concerns the introduction of  vaccination against the COVID that many, even most, of our people, are scared of. Last I heard, only one in every four Filipinos is in favor or willing to undergo it! Maybe the President and his staff should lead by example, and show themselves on TV getting vaccinated, that is, if they haven’t gone through it already. One in four – that means about 25 percent. So, why doesn’t  the Department of Health go on with the willing ones, to assure the unbelievers that it works? Nothing like convincing by example, you know.

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A news report said that the Presidential Security Guards have been vaccinated against the COVID, so we are assured that they cannot infect the President who, however, must have been vaccinated ahead of them. But it does not seem so for the cadets at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio where, the latest reports said,  50 cadets have been stricken so far. I suppose the academy is included among the entities entitled to free vaccinations? But I also heard that not even  local government Units can procure the vaccines on their own, it must be the Health Department to do that. I hope our LGUs here have already applied for inclusion in the vaccine “shopping list” of the Health Department.

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In Indonesia, by the way, the working class has been made the priority for vaccination. Well, that is reasonable, because they are the ones who work to provide services as well as food for the general public. And although the report didn’t say so, I assumed that the vaccination service is done for free by the state. But I don’t hear yet of any such move inour  local governments for their constituents. Perhaps Malacañang will give an order soon? Or is that the responsibility of the LGUs alone?

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If all goes well, this promises to be a good year for ABS-CBN whose franchise had been revoked last year for reasons everyone seems to know, but not talking about. This time, a member of the entertainment industry, the popular Vilma Santos, who is now a Congresswoman is initiating the moves to revive its franchise, so ABS-CBN fans may soon enjoy their favorite programs in it. With Vilma S. so popular among her fellow solons, there doesn’t seem to be a question that her bid will not go through. Abangan!

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Back to the subject of vaccines, I hear there is an order for  Local Government Units not to take upon themselves the responsibility of procuring COVID 19 vaccines. I think that is reliable as, who knows, some enterprising pharmaceutical group could concoct its own version and pass it off as effective. So it is best for us all to wait until our Health Department or the Office of the President gives the go-signal for the brand or type we should consider. Don’t be fooled by fake ones!*

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