Some 3,034 healthcare workers in this city have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of March 17, records of the City Health Office showed.
Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr., officer-in-charge of the CHO, said that of the number, a total of 2,453 have been given Sinovac’s CoronaVac shots while 581 have received AstraZeneca vaccines.
In Bacolod, vaccination for medical front-liners, including doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff as well as city health workers, including those assigned in the barangays, started on March 5, immediately after the arrival of the 6,300 vials of Sinovac supply from the national government.
Vaccinated healthcare workers were those from Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, The Doctors’ Hospital, Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center, Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, and Southern Bacolod General Hospital.
City Administrator Em Ang, executive director of the Emergency Operations Center Task Force, said with 3,034 already inoculated, the vaccination of medical front-liners in the city is “almost complete”.
“There are still those remaining in some hospitals since they can’t be all vaccinated at the same time. They are scheduled based on their shifts so they can be given rest after vaccination,” Ang said in a radio interview.
She added that Bacolod is still expected to receive more vaccine supply from the national government this week although the quantity is not yet known.
“The Department of Health has not advised us yet. They usually inform us the day before or on the day of the shipment,” she added.
Dr. Hector Gayares, chief executive officer of Adventist International Healthcare System and one of the first five doctors in Bacolod inoculated with CoronaVac on March 5, earlier said healthcare workers should lead the vaccination in Bacolod.
“Medical professionals should lead this program. It’s better to have 50-percent protection than nothing at all,” he added. – NLG
