Six hospitals in Metro Manila are among the first to receive the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech---- as the country’s vaccination program is set to start on Monday, March 1.
“In light of the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, there will be a symbolic vaccination with CoronaVac vaccines by Sinovac Life Sciences Co, Ltd., in different hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) for March 1, 2021,” the DOH said in an advisory.
“In the coming days, these vaccines will also be rolled out in other parts of the country,” the DOH added.
The six hospitals are the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila, Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (DJNRMMC) in Caloocan City, Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, Philippine National Police General Hospital in Quezon City, and the Victoriano Luna Medical Center in Quezon City.
The symbolic vaccination in the different hospitals will be simultaneously done on Monday which will start at 9:30 a.m.
Some of the expected attendees at the PGH include Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director-General Rolando Enrique Domingo, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
Meanwhile, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III will lead the event at the Lung Center of the Philippines. The DOH said MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte are expected to attend the event.
At the DJNRMMC, Testing Czar Vince Dizon and Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan are expected to grace the event.
Senator Christopher Lawrence Go announced that Galvez, Duque, and Dizon will be receiving their first COVID-19 shots on Monday.
The Chinese government has pledged to donate 600,000 doses of Sinovac Vaccines to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the Philippines will also receive 525,600 doses of vaccines developed by British drugmaker AstraZeneca, which are expected to arrive also Monday, March 1.