PERSONNEL of the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital (PGH) are ready to receive the country's first batch of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.

"We are part of the vaccine rollout program. We have to carry out the vaccine rollout. So we will accept the vaccines, but we will offer to our personnel, who will be willing to get inoculated," said Dr. Jonas del Rosario, PGH spokesperson.

"Included in the list are support staff, security, janitorial, administrative, office workers and doctors not working in Covid-19 wards," he added.

He said the vaccine will not be offered to personnel who deal with Covid-19 patients.

"We will not include healthcare workers on duty in Covid-19 wards and are taking care of Covid-19 patients given the low efficacy rate," said del Rosario.

He said vaccination will be voluntary, not mandatory.

"It will be a personal choice. It is only voluntary. It will depend on their personal assessment of the offer," said del Rosario.

The PGH is still conducting a survey on how many would be willing to get inoculated with Sinovac vaccines.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier said the Sinovac vaccine is not recommended for frontline healthcare workers who are exposed to Covid-19 patients.

Malacañang announced that the first batch of China’s Sinovac vaccines will arrive in the Philippines on February 28, about a week after the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Sinovac. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)