More prisoners vaccinated vs. Covid-19

JAIL OFFICIALS thanked the local government for inoculating nearly 1,500 prisoners at the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center (ZCRC) as part of an effort to protect them against the deadly Covid-19 disease.

A prisoner, whose face is blurred to protect his identity, gets a jab from a medical frontliner. (Christine Lim)

Chief Covid-19 frontliner Mayor Beng Climaco said the vaccination program targeted prisoners who are included in the A2, A3 and A5 categories set by the Department of Health. 

“Our mass vaccination program will include all residents of Zamboanga City and that includes persons deprived of liberty because Covid-19 does not choose its victims and we want to ensure the safety not only of our constituents, but the PDLs as well. As long as there are available supplies of vaccines, we will roll it out immediately to all sectors of the society,” Climaco told the Zamboanga Post by phone. 

She said the City Health Office has deployed vaccination teams and are working closely with the medical teams from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. At present, there are more than 3,000 inmates at the ZCRC. 

The mayor said prisoners at the San Ramon Penal Farm are also included in the vaccination program. (Zamboanga Post)