By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines for Negros Occidental arrived here through the help of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the AstraZeneca vaccines are for residents 60-years old and older and health workers of the province, while those 59 years old and below will get the Sinovac jab.
Members of the Provincial Incident Management Team of Negros Occidental received 99 Sinovac vials and 74 AstraZeneca doses that were unloaded from a Coast Guard ship.
Aside from the COVID-19 vaccines, the PIMT, which represented the Provincial Health Office, received a shipment of anti-rabies vaccines and auxiliary supplies needed for immunization, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
Aside from the COVID-19 vaccines, the PHO also received a shipment of anti-rabies vaccines, as well as the auxiliary supplies needed for immunization.
Dr. Jane Juanico, DOH Region 6 Infectious Disease Cluster head, earlier said that 1,930 doses of AstraZeneca will be sent to 370 frontliners of Negros Occidental priority hospitals, and 1,560 in Bacolod City for their first jab. The second doses will be sent later.
Meanwhile the Covid-19 vaccination simulation exercises also pushed through yesterday in Brgy. Cansilayan, Murcia, and was attended by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, city and municipal health officers of the different local government units and Mayor Gerry Rojas, among others.
It was well attended, Diaz said.
Tumimbang said the simulation exercises aim to determine how fast the vaccination program is, systems that need to be improved, and its best practices, among others, to be implemented in other LGUs, once the vaccination program starts.
“There is no perfect system. We need to determine what is lacking, or what the best practices are to be duplicated, he added.
DOH recently gave 6,300 doses of Sinovac vaccines, with an excess of 1,600 doses given to the provincial government, for vaccination of an initial 800 health workers of the 11 district hospitals.
The Bacolod City Health Office also received 312 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines.
