BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
All is set for the Covid-19 ceremonial vaccination of 12 doctors from four government hospitals, who volunteered to be inoculated with the Sinovac vaccines today at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said that the 1,600 doses of China-made Sinovac vaccines were received yesterday by the Provincial Health Office from the Department of Health, for storage.
“Everything is ready,” Diaz said.
The 1,600 doses have been taken from the excess supply allocated for Bacolod City, that received 6,300 doses from the Department of Health.
Diaz said that the ceremonial vaccination program at TLJPH will be witnessed by Covid-19 Testing czar Vince Dizon, who will be accompanied by former Representative –turned provincial consultant Alfredo Benitez, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, among others.
About 1,700 health workers assigned in the 11 district hospitals in Negros Occidental are included in the initial list of persons to be vaccinated.
The mass vaccination for those who volunteered to receive it willhappen simultaneously on March 13 in all hospitals managed by the provincial government and local government units, Diaz said.
Of the 1,600 doses, he said, initial doses of 800 will be used, with the remaining 800 to be kept by PHO to make sure that a second dose will be available for them, he added.
Additional supplies may also arrive soon, Diaz said apparently referring to the AstraZeneca vaccines.
When the supplies for the second dose arrive, those who were not included in the first round of vaccination, will avail of it, he added.
Diaz also said that the Covid-19 vaccination dry run will take place on March 12 in Murcia, to be witnessed by Gov. Lacson, Vice Gov. Ferrer, Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas and other local chief executives.
Everything has been prepared, he stressed.
The 1,600 doses of Sinovac is the first batch of vaccines given to the province of Negros Occidental, and forms part of the more than 600,000 doses donated by China to the Philippine government.*
