Vaccination of 300,000 health workers begins today

Preparation and set-up for the ceremonial vaccination of CoronaVac from Sinovac Life Science Co., Ltd. at the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium. (DOH photo)

CALOOCAN CITY, March 1 (PIA) -- The vaccination of 300,000 Filipinos, particularly healthworkers, against COVID-19 begins today.

Healthcare workers and other medical frontliners working in major referral hospitals in the country will be prioritized in the inoculation program, following the arrival of 600,000 doses of China-donated CoronaVac vaccines made by Sinovac Biotech pharmaceutical firm, National Policy Against COVID-19 chief implementer and Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Sunday during the arrival of the vaccines at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

"As we ramp up our preparations for the vaccine rollout, we call on all our countrymen to take part in this massive and historic immunization program," Galvez said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque, for his part, said among the Metro Manila hospitals to receive the vials are the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital in Manila; Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium in Caloocan City; East Avenue Medical Center, V. Luna Hospital, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, the PNP General Hospital and Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City.

Duque also noted that the coronavirus vaccines for Visayas and Mindanao will be delivered by March 4 to 5.

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City will get the first batch of the vaccines.

"Ito po ang dalawang pinakamalaking ospital ng gobyerno at ang mga healthcare workers ang mauunang maturukan (These are the two biggest public hospitals and their healthcare workers will be prioritized in the vaccination)," Duque said.

Galvez said they are still in the process of negotiating with other vaccine manufacturers to secure additional jabs.

"We are also expediting the procurement of another one million doses of Sinovac vaccines, which are expected to arrive this March also," he said.

"We are expecting to receive the bulk of the COVID-19 vaccines by the second quarter of this year," he added.

"We will prioritize the preservation of our health institution and it would be followed by the government institutions that are providing essential services and economic front-liners," Galvez furthered. (PIA NCR)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)