SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union Feb 28 (PIA) – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development in the Ilocos (DOH-CHD 1) explained the country’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program, here.
In the Kapihan sa Ilocos program episodes of the Philippine Information Agency Region 1 held on February 17 and 24, the DOH-CHD 1 guested on the said program and said that the region is on the preparation stage for the roll-out of the vaccines.
According to Dr. Rheuel Bobis, the vaccines coming in the country will be tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and once approved will be administered to the priority groups identified by DOH-CHD.
The priority groups include health and medical practitioners, senior citizens, uniformed personnel and other frontline personnel.
The DOH-CHD 1 has now identified 88 cold storage areas in the region where the vaccines will be placed before it will be given to the beneficiaries.
“We want to assure the public that the vaccines are safe, and shall be given in two doses,” Bobis added.
Bobis also said that there are different brands of vaccines like Sinovac and Aztrazeneca that will be used and those who will receive it may experience variant side effects such as fever and body aches, which are deemed normal after vaccination.
He clarified that the government has to purchase different brands because the manufacturers cannot supply the country with just one brand.
“Some persons may experience the effects of the vaccine but its common just like the when they received flu or pneumonia shots,” he also said.
Further, he said that the second dose will be given after the first dose depending on the brand of the vaccine, since one brand needs to be administered after 14 days, and the other is after three weeks.
DOH-CHD 1 has been conducting various information, education and communication activities which includes training of trainers for COVID-19 communicators, posting of social media cards and audio-video materials online, and surveys on the acceptability of the vaccine in the grassroots level.
The trainings for the government communicators in the provinces were recently conducted in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency Regional Office 1 since February 16 covering the provinces of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.
On March 4, the training for government information officers is set in Ilocos Norte.
“We are here to support and further explain the program of DOH-CHD 1 because there are a lot of issues and concerns that our citizens need to know, and we want that as a government agency, we will fight fake news and dismiss the disinformation about the vaccines that are circulating in our communities,” said PIA-1 Regional Director Jennilyne C. Role.
Both agencies advised the public to be wary of imformation that are disseminated in the public and recommended to follow or get updates only from official social media platforms of the agencies.
The vaccines are expected to arrive in the country this week. (JCR/VHS/AHFF/PIA-1)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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