BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The first batch of 100,000 doses of British-made AstraZeneca vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that the Negros Occidental provincial government ordered is set to be delivered this month.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said 3,500 doses would be shipped on or before July 15 as “promised by the supplier.”
However, Diaz said, the supplier explained that the current supply remain very limited, so he would recommend to Gov. Eugenio Lacson to prioritize those residing near Bacolod City for the vaccination.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. It has been modified to contain genetic material shared by the coronavirus – although it can’t cause the illness.
Once injected, it teaches the body’s immune system how to fight the real virus.
Diaz said the initial doses they will receive will be for city and municipal hall employees.
Based on the July 2data released by the provincial government, a total of 35,481 Negrenses were already inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccines from the national goverment.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can be stored in a fridge, rather than needing very cold temperatures.
The recommended dosage is two doses given intramuscularly (0.5ml each) with an interval of eight to 12 weeks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Two versions of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine – produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of Korea) and the Serum Institute of India – have been listed for emergency use by WHO.
According to WHO, this vaccine has an efficacy of 63.09 percent against symptomatic COVID-19 infection./PN
