INOCULATION using Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for medical frontliners in Negros Occidental will start on Thursday, March 11, at Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.
This was confirmed Tuesday, March 9, by lawyer Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, after the province got the 1,600 doses of Sinovac vaccines from Bacolod City as per instruction from the Regional Office of the Department of Health.
Dr. Jane Juanico, Infectious Disease Cluster head of DOH-Western Visayas, said the 1,600 doses given to Negros Occidental is the excess of Bacolod City from the 6,300 doses they got from the Regional Office.
Bacolod City has enlisted 2,350 medical frontliners for Corazon Locsin Montelibano Regional Hospital and six other private hospitals times two doses the city needed a total of 4,700 doses so the 1,600 doses are the excess which was given Tuesday to Bacolod City, Juanico said, adding that the said excess is for the first dose for medical frontliners in Negros Occidental.
Juanico said the vaccines for the province will be distributed to the hospitals, especially the top four hospitals, namely: Teresitac Jalandoni Provincial Hospital, Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City, Valladolid District Hospital and Cadiz City District Hospital.
She also clarified that medical frontliners who are volunteering and are amenable for or Sinovac vaccine will also be vaccinated.
The 1,600 is also the list submitted by the province to the regional office for vaccination of Sinovac.
Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical and data analysis of the Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) of Bacolod City, has also confirmed the release of the vaccines to the province which he said will be replenished by the region soon.
Diaz said medical frontliners in the province are willing for Sinovac because they believe that the Chinese drug maker uses a traditional manner using the virus which is safer for them and more efficient.
The Provincial Health Office will distribute the vaccines to the hospitals that will be given prior notice a day before the vaccination so that they can make the necessary preparations.
The vaccination will take place at the hospitals, Diaz said.
Juanico, meanwhile, clarified that only medical frontliners or hospital employees will be vaccinated with the first batch of vaccines released by the national government.