The Taguig City government and the Department of Health (DOH) held on Tuesday the first vaccination for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the city.
Health workers from the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital (TPDH) were the first to be inoculated using CoronaVac, a vaccine by China’s Sinovac Life Science Co.
They were TPDH Medical Director Dr. Ana Richie Quilatan, Hospital Administrator Dr. Ma. Victoria Dinnah Cabinte, pulmonologist Dr. Fatima Alba, outpatient department’s Dr. Pascal Pattaui, Dr. Michaelangelo Hassan and head of Taguig’s City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CEDSU) head Dr. Luis Sy Jr.
The second batch to get vaccinated was composed of Taguig’s National Immunization Program Coordinator Dr. Jennifer Lou de Guzman, Dr. Neil Noveros of the city’s molecular laboratory, TPDH infectious disease specialist Dr. Shirley Padilla, TPDH surgery head Neil Timoteo, assistant chief nurse Imee San Gabriel and nurse Rosselene Calma.
Included in the third batch were TPDH’s radiology chairman Dr. Maria Cecilia Aguillo, pedia specialist Dr. Fetalvero Deogenes Jr., OB-Gyne Dr. Liza Paraguya and chief nurse Cynthia Carranza.
The vaccination is part of the ceremonial turnover of COVID-19 vaccines to Taguig, which were received by Mayor Lino Cayetano.
“To all the healthcare workers, do not be reluctant to accept the vaccines. They are the best vaccines at this time. And this is your choice and this is your shared responsibility,” said DOH Usec. Leopoldo Vega.
Dr. Corazon Flores of DOH's Centers for Health Development said the first 300 doses of CoronaVac vaccine for Taguig arrived at 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Cayetano also witnessed the first vaccination in Taguig and said March 2 is a historic day as Taguig was included in the second day of vaccination in the country while the TPDH is the first local government unit-run hospital which received the COVID-19 vaccines.
He said Taguig has the eight active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, the lowest in the National Capital Region, and has the lowest case fatality rate at 1.54.
Cayetano encouraged residents to get vaccinated as the city government aims to achieve zero active cases.