By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Five medical doctors and a nurse were the first to receive the Sinovac vaccine here during the ceremonial vaccination held at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center Friday morning.
First to be vaccinated was Dr. Miguel Sarabia, an ophthalmologist and president of the Negros Occidental Medical Society.
The five others were Dr. Hector Gayares Jr., CEO of Adventist International Healthcare Systems Philippines and deputy medical (volunteer) of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center; Dr. Dolores Rommela Tiples-Ruiz, an Infectious Disease (IDS) Specialist; Dr. Radela Tvonne Ramos- Cortes, an allergologist (internal medicine, allergy and immunology); Dr. Carlos Javier Primicias Jr., a pediatrician; and Valerie Villarosa Sarabia, a nurse and the wife of Dr. Miguel Sarabia.
Dr. Sarabia said that way before the vaccination, they already researched the Sinovac vaccine which he assured is 100 percent safe.
He said he decided to volunteer to be vaccinated because he does not want to expose his patients and himself to the coronavirus disease 2019 as he faces many patients every day and is also in the operating room at least twice a week.
“It is a great day for Negros Occidental and Bacolod City because the vaccine has finally arrived,” he said.
More importantly, Sarabia said they volunteered to be vaccinated to assure the people that the vaccine is safe adding that it is important for everyone to be vaccinated “so that we can return to normal again.”
“I am a frontliner, am 59 years old and I cannot guarantee safety to myself and my patients all the time,” he further said.
When asked by the media if there were any effects after getting the jab, Dr. Gayares said he was feeling fine as the reaction to the vaccine will be known in one to two days.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that he is happy that the vaccination in the city has started.
“That was more than a ceremonial event because we had an actual vaccination, the journey to a thousand miles begins with a single step. Kabay pa nga makabulig ini pasanag kag giya sa aton pumuloyo, kay ini nga mga doctors kag wala pang duha duha ka intiendi gid ni sila sa ila pagpabakuna, kon ini sila nga mga experto nakasali sa bakuna, there is no more reason for us to doubt the bakuna,” Leonardia said.
Earlier, officials of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVac) received 6,300 doses of Sinovac vaccines at the Bacolod-Silay Airport Friday morning.
This is the first vaccine against COVID-19 to arrive in Bacolod and is part of the 600,000 initial doses donated by China to the Philippine government.
EOC officials who receive the shipment at the airport were Executive Director Em Ang, Deputy Medical Dr. Chris Sorongon, OIC-City Health Officer Dr. Edwin Miraflor, and Ben Arnel dela Cruz of the Department of Health (DOH-6).
From the airport, the vaccines were brought immediately to the Bacolod City Government Center, where six medical practitioners (5 doctors and 1 nurse) received the vaccines.
The next vaccine rollout will be on Sunday [March 7), with medical and health workers of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital and Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (Riverside Medical Center) as among the recipients.
Apart from the donation, the country earlier reached an agreement with Sinovac to secure 25 million doses of the vaccines.
Leonardia said that the Sinovac vaccines that arrived Friday will be for the medical personnel of the two hospitals and if there are more left, these will be distributed to other hospitals in the city. (With a report from City PIO)
