Getting vaccinated in the Philippines is quite challenging, especially if you’re not part of the prioritized groups. For the past few months, the government has been prioritizing senior citizens (those over the age of 60) and essential workers. As an individual belonging to the “Other Workforce” category, despite signing up for the vaccine early on – I could not get a schedule because of the prioritization.

With the recent surge of cases due to the Delta variant, our city government finally allowed those without schedules to just walk-in the vaccination centers. The problem is – there’s too many walk-in folks that the lines get so absurdly long. So, if you think about walking-in without an appointment, DON’T. You’ll waste your time falling in line for nothing.

Here are the steps I followed, which you might be able to reapply (especially if you’re getting vaccinated in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu).

1. Register at your local government unit. Most of them would have an online registration process – here are the links to the tri-cities in Cebu. Take a screenshot of the confirmation/QR codes/registration codes which you might need to present on the day of the vaccination.
   • Cebu City
   • Mandaue City
   • Lapu-Lapu City (Opon)
2. Wait for a text message confirming your schedule. Specific to Lapu-Lapu City, fill out this form to get scheduled ASAP. You can also call this number 09618067946. For other cities, I suggest you contact the health centers to get instructions.
3. Go to the vaccination center on the specified date and time. Here are the steps I followed in Lapu-Lapu City:
   • Step 1 – Registration. You might see a long line – but go to the counter that says “Step 1” and present your text confirming the schedule. They will give you a form to fill out, then you can proceed to Step 2.
   • Step 2 – Vitals. This is to check if you’re “healthy” enough to get the vaccine. They will get your blood oxygen measurement, heart rate, blood pressure and temperature.
   • Step 3 – Check-up. A doctor will ask you some questions about allergies, history of sickness/COVID-19 infection, and will get your confirmation that you are willing to go ahead with the vaccination.
   • Step 4 – Actual vaccination. Takes less than 2 minutes.
   • Step 5 – Rest period. They will monitor you for 15 minutes after vaccination for any unwanted symptoms or reaction to the vaccine.
   • Step 6 – Encoding. They will update your records in the system before letting you go.

All in all, it took me 4 hours to get vaccinated on the day I was scheduled. When I walked in the first time, I waited 6 hours for nothing, so please get scheduled if you can! Also, protect yourself (wear masks, face shield if you want), bring your own pen, water, snacks, alcohol (for sanitizing, haha), charge your phones and get ready for a long wait!

In the Philippines, the vaccine brand is determined by the supply for that day. You don’t really have a choice unlike in other countries. The important thing is that you protect yourself from COVID-19 as soon as possible. Especially now with the new variants, hospitals are getting full again. The best vaccine is the one that’s available to you so yes, even if that’s Sinovac, get it (OK, I got Sinovac).

Have you gotten yourself vaccinated? How’s your experience? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂