MANILA – The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) director Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi kicked off the Philippines’ much-awaited coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program on Monday.
Legaspi became the first-ever Filipino to receive Sinovac Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine after being injected by PGH nurse Sherlock Santos in the presence of vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, and Manila mayor Isko Moreno.
Legaspi said he did not think twice about being inoculated with the China-made vaccine as he is confident with the Food and Drugs Administration’s (FDA) granting of emergency use authorization (EUA) on Sinovac’s vaccine.
“Hindi siya ganoon kaganda sa pananaw ng karamihan pero kapag sinuri nang malalim, maiintindihan niyo bakit ako ang unang nag-volunteer na magpabakuna,” said Legaspi.
“Naka-desisyon tayo sa Sinovac base sa siyensa pero kailangan ho nating idiin na ito ay boluntaryo – hindi pwedeng ipilit kahit kanino kung ayaw niya. Ang pangkalahatang response sa PGH, nag-i-improve,” he added.
Aside from Legaspi, PGH doctor Menguita Padilla and around 3,000 medical frontliners including health care workers, hospital janitors, and utility staff were inoculated.
“Kahit anong gawing kampanya, hindi magkakaroon ng panatag na loob ang taumbayan hanggat hindi nila nakikita na ang kanilang doktor na pinagkakatiwalaan ay nagpabakuna,” said Padilla.
Several Cabinet members like vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr., FDA director Gen. Eric Domingo, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chief, Benhur Abalos, and Dr. Edsel Salvana of the Department of Health (DOH) Technical Advisory Group were inoculated at PGH while testing czar Vivencio Dizon was vaccinated at Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City.
DOH secretary Francisco Duque III backed out from the inoculation as he is already 64-years-old, while Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was told to return some other day.
Aside from PGH, COVID-19 vaccination was also held at Lung Center of the Philippines, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital (Tala Hospital), PNP General Hospital, Pasig City General Hospital, and V. Luna Medical Center.
Vaccination drive in provinces, particularly in Cebu and Davao, meanwhile, is expected to start this week./PN
