SAN JOSE, Antique – No side effects were reported among the 30 elderly healthcare workers in Antique the AstraZeneca vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Tuesday.
“So far no senior complained about side effects,” said Irene Dulduco, Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) information officer.
Meanwhile, IPHO chief Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo said healthcare workers vaccinated with Sinovac only complained of mild side effects.
“The health workers who complained of mild side effects also said that after a few minutes they already felt fine,” he said.
Naciongayo said they received 90 vials of AstraZeneca from the Department of Health (DOH) regional office on March 12.
“We started the vaccination using AstraZeneca (on March 16)” to senior healthcare workers at the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital (ASMGH) in San Jose, he said.
On March 15, the IPHO conducted an orientation among healthcare workers who are 60 years old and above at the ASMGH, the province’s first COVID-19 referral facility.
The 90 vials of AstraZeneca could vaccinate 190 seniors who were unqualified to receive Sinovac.
“Each vial of AstraZeneca could vaccinate 10 persons,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Leoncio Abiera Jr. also, of the IPHO, said there were a total of 94 senior health workers at the ASMGH and in the eight district hospitals.
The younger health workers who were unable to avail themselves of the Sinovac will be qualified under their Quick Substitution List (QSL).
“The QSL is the list of health workers who are also willing to be vaccinated,” he said. (PNA)
