BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental officially kicks off its vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among healthcare workers in today’s ceremonial vaccination at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.
Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, said 12 medical doctors from four capitol-run hospitals volunteered for the ceremonial vaccination at 2 p.m.
The Provincial Health Office received 1,600 doses of China-made Sinovac vaccines from the Department of Health (DOH), Diaz said.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, COVID-19 testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon, and provincial consultant on economic affairs Alfredo Benitez will witness the ceremonial vaccination.
By Saturday, Diaz said, they would start the COVID-19 vaccine distribution to hospital frontliners who initially signed up for inoculation.
“Our list has already been presented to the DOH, and we are expecting additional supplies [such as] AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines,” Diaz said.
“When the second round of supplies arrives, those who were not vaccinated in the first batch will be included in the second batch,” he added.
More or less 1,700 provincial healthcare workers signified willingness to be inoculated in the first wave of vaccination, Diaz said.
“Right now we are short by about 900 doses to vaccinate those who volunteered first,” he added. “Once the vaccines arrive, we will immediately utilize them. The distribution will be based on the protocols set by the DOH and the World Health Organization.”/PN
