Senator Cynthia Villar welcomed the Covid-19 vaccination with vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech that began last Thursday, March, 4, in her hometown Las Piñas City.
“I am happy that we already started giving the Covid-19 vaccines in Las Piñas. We hope all medical frontliners and residents will grab the opportunity to be vaccinated so they will be protected against the virus” Villar said.
She says she is confident that many individuals, including healthcare workers, will be vaccinated regardless of the vaccine brand, citing the assurance given by health officials and the government that they are safe and effective.
She expects the vaccine rollout will run smoothly as she renewed her calls to Las Pinas residents to cooperate with the city government and health officials who are only thinking of their protection, safety and welfare.
She also urged everyone to receive their Covid-19 shots for the country to finally be able to move to the new normal of living and to recover from economic slump amid the pandemic.
“At present, this is our best defense against the virus,” said.
She likewise acknowledged government efforts to ramp up vaccine confidence and overcome vaccine hesitation brought about by the Dengvaxia controversy.
To ease fears of the Covid-19 vaccines, hospital directors and some government officials got the first jabs of the vaccines.
Villar said Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Tauma Center General Director Rodrigo Hao confirmed that 300 frontliners already got their first dose of the China-made Sinovac vaccine.
Among the first to get the jabs was Hao.
Another 300 doses of Sinovac, which arrived on March 7, will be administered to another batch of medical frontliners.
LPGHTC and the Las Piñas City government is also awaiting the arrival of those AstraZeneca vaccines from Covax and those procured by Las Piñas City from AstraZeneca, the British drugmaker (300,000 doses).
Las Piñas also procured from Novavax 200,000 doses.
The Las Piñas City government prepared for the mass vaccination rollout by conducting vaccination simulation as it targets to inoculate 3,000 residents daily, putting up screening sites in the city’s 20 barangays for the listing down of those to be prioritized to receive the vaccines, and designating vaccination sites during the mass vaccination program