ILOILO CITY – Sixteen thousand, eight hundred doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Western Visayas.
“This will pave way to finally reduce the morbidity and mortality, especially among those in the vulnerable sector,” said Dr. Emilia Monicimpo, Department of Health Western Visayas (DOH Region 6) regional director.
The vaccines donated by China arrived Friday at the Iloilo Airport in Iloilo and Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
Ten thousand, five-hundred eight doses of Sinovac were distributed by DOH Region 6 in four hospitals in Iloilo City that handle COVID-19 cases. These are in the DOH-run Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC), Iloilo Doctors Hospital (IDH), and St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo (SPHI).
The remaining 6,700 doses of Sinovac were distributed in two hospitals in Bacolod City. These are in the DOH-run Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) and Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Mary Jane Juanico, chief of the DOH Region 6 for infectious disease cluster, emphasized that the rollout of actual vaccination program will prioritize health workers and front line workers.