MORE than 900 adults aged 60 and above in Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City received their first dose of the Sinovac vaccine during the first day of the vaccination campaign for senior citizens on Monday, April 19, 2021.
Cebu City Health Department (CHD) officer-in-charge Jeffrey Ibones said they had targeted to inoculate only around 500 individuals and spend the latter half of the day for an assessment.
With the large turnout, however, Ibones said the vaccination lasted until 4 p.m. Monday and they ended up vaccinating a total of 793 senior citizens.
The vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) were administered at the Robinsons Galleria for the senior citizens from Barangay Mambaling and University of Cebu (UC) Banilad for those from Barangay Mabolo.
Despite the City Hall’s advice against walk-in recipients, there were still more than 50 senior citizens without prior registration who were given the vaccine.
“Some of them were willing to wait, so we decided to just give them the vaccine,” Ibones said.
Of the 793, six experienced mild adverse events after inoculation, such as elevated blood pressure and dizziness.
On Tuesday, April 20, senior citizens from Barangays Talamban and Banilad are scheduled to be inoculated at UC Banilad, while those from Basak Pardo and Kinasang-an will get their vaccine at Robinsons Galleria.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who is 66 years old, announced he will also get his first shot on April 20 at Robinsons Galleria.
He said he will invite Mayor Edgardo Labella to get inoculated at the same time.
Labella, in a separate interview, said he was willing to get vaccinated together with Rama, but he still had to check his schedule on April 20.
Besides, he said his doctor had advised him to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.