Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian received Thursday his first dose of Chinese Sinovac vaccine at the People's Park Amphitheater.
Gatchalian got his jab against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after the national government allowed mayors in high-risk cities and municipalities to get inoculated.
“Matagal niyo na naririnig na lahat tayo maging bahagi ng solusyon laban sa COVID-19… Bilang indibidwal eto ‘yung contribution niyo sa paglaban sa COVID-19 (You have heard for a long time that we can all be part of the solution against COVID-19… As an individual, this is your contribution to the fight against COVID-19),” Gatchalian said after receiving the vaccine.
"Ag ginamit ko na bakuna ay Sinovac, wala naman akong nararamdaman na hindi maganda. Normal na normal. So huwag tayong matakot (I was given Sinovac. Right now, I'm not feeling any adverse effects, very normal. So let's not be afraid of getting the vaccine)," he added.
The mayor also said it is important to be vaccinated regardless of the brand of the vaccine as long as it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"Basta FDA-approved ang bakuna, it doesn’t matter which brand you use. Ang importante magpabakuna tayo (As long as it is FDA-approved, it doesn’t matter which brand of vaccine you use. The important thing is that we get vaccinated),” he said.
The vaccination of Valenzuela City residents under priority list is still ongoing, nearing the 4,000 mark. Persons with comorbidities will soon be vaccinated in the coming days, according to the local government.
As of Wednesday, April 7, the city had 1,006 active COVID cases.