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NO LOCAL government official will be inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine yet, as the 7,200 doses from the first batch that arrived on March 2, 2021 are intended for healthcare workers, clarified the Central Visayas Health Department (DOH 7) .
DOH 7 spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche issued the clarification on Wednesday, March 3, after two Cebu city councilors said they were willing to get vaccinated to build confidence in the 2019 coronavirus disease vaccine ( Covid-19).
Except for the deputy director of implementation of the Interagency Task Force (IATF) for the Visayas Melquiades Feliciano, Loreche said that all those vaccinated at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) on Thursday, March 4, will be medical vanguard.
“Not for non-health care. Not yet, ”Loreche said in a text message to SunStar Cebu.
As of Tuesday, March 2, only 768 of the 2,987 healthcare workers at VSMMC had registered for vaccination. They will be led by the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gerardo Aquino.
However, the 7,200 doses that arrived Tuesday will vaccinate 3,600 people. The Sinovac vaccine is given in two doses four weeks apart to clinically healthy people 18 to 59 years of age.
The Cebu City Council, through a motion made by Councilor Raymond Alvin García during Wednesday’s regular session, asked DOH 7 to assign the remaining doses to the leaders of the Cebu City Medical Center and the Department of Health of the City, as well as government personnel at barangay health centers participating in Covid-19 response field operations.
At a press conference also Wednesday, Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said that he, infectious disease specialist Bryan Lim and some members of the Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will receive their first dose of the Sinovac vaccine on Thursday.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak was also quoted in a SunStar Cebu report saying that he will be among those to receive the vaccine.
Both councilors said they want to build confidence in vaccines, especially since Sinovac’s public acceptability is low. The Sinovac vaccine, or CoronaVac, is an inactivated vaccine developed by Sinovac Life Sciences in China.
“Right now, the best vaccine is the one we have (from now on, the best vaccine is the one that is available). This, at least, will prevent serious symptoms and death, ”Garganera said.
Garganera said the vaccine will help decrease the chance of being hospitalized and developing severe Covid-19 symptoms.
Vaccination campaign
In Metro Manila, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said a total of 2,793 people had been inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine as of Tuesday night, March 2.
The vaccination campaign against Covid-19 was launched on Monday, March 1 at the UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the José N. Rodríguez Memorial and Sanatorium Center, the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, the General Hospital of the National Police of Philippines and the Victoriano Luna Medical Center. , all in Metro Manila.
The Department of Health (DOH) previously said that 756 people, mostly frontline doctors and uniformed personnel, were vaccinated.
Topping the list of vaccinated were PGH director Gerardo Legaspi, testing czar Vince Dizon, Food and Drug Administration CEO Eric Domingo, and Galvez.
On Tuesday, March 2, the symbolic vaccination was carried out at Pasig City General Hospital, Pasay City General Hospital, Sta. Ana Hospital, Lakeshore Vaccination Hub, Marikina City Sports Complex and at various military hospitals.
On Wednesday, March 3, the vaccination campaign was launched at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, The Medical City, St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City, and Valenzuela Medical Center.
Healthcare workers
Gálvez said the list of registered vaccine recipients among healthcare workers includes 202,182 in Luzon, 51,140 in the Visayas and 94,540 in Mindanao.
“On the first day, there were very few candidates, only about 13 percent applied. Since then, we have received requests from congressmen and mayors who want vaccine allocations for hospitals in their areas, ”Gálvez said in a television interview on Wednesday.
In the Philippine National Police (PNP), more than 300 front-line doctors have been vaccinated, according to PNP deputy chief of administration Guillermo Eleazar.
Eleazar said a total of 125 front-line policemen were vaccinated on March 1, while another 180 were shot on Tuesday, March 2.
Of the 305 vaccinated, three experienced mild adverse effects after immunization, such as skin rashes at the injection site.
Eleazar said 80 police officers were not eligible for the vaccination Tuesday due to medical reasons, but that they could return for another evaluation.
Some 800 doses of vaccine for 400 people were assigned to PNP front-line doctors, who care for police officers with Covid-19.
As of Tuesday night, the PNP had a total of 11,420 Covid cases with 31 deaths, 10,926 recoveries, and 463 active cases.
A donation of 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine from China was the first to arrive in the Philippines on February 28.
Of the 600,000 doses, 100,000 were donated by China to the military. On Tuesday, the national government sent 7,200 doses to the VSMMC in Cebu City and 12,000 doses to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City. (WBS, JJL / TPM / SunStar Philippines)
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