By JOENALD MEDINA RAYOS
BATANGAS CITY – The long wait is over for A1 priority groups or medical health frontliners from public and private facilities here as their inoculation kicked off at the Batangas City Convention Center Wednesday.
At least 1,051 health professionals from public and private health facilities headed by City Health Officer Dr. Rosanna Barrion have received their first jab of the Sinovac vaccine.
They will be inoculated until the supplies for the first jab last.
In the A1 group are the Barangay Health Workers (BHWs), Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), Barangay Service Point Officers (BSPO), Barangay Health and Emergency Response Teams (BHERTS), workers at dental clinics, free standing clinics (medical and optical), frontliners in schools, other healthcare facilities, the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
Barrion said that even though the inoculation started a bit later than other local government units, having been vaccinated of the first jab is a big help to the medical frontliners who courageously attend to their duties day by day for more than a year now.
Before the actual vaccination, a recipient will be momentarily isolated in the waiting area and register. Afterwards, he will undergo counseling and screening and receive his vaccine.
After vaccination, those who received the vaccine will wait for 15 to 30 minutes in the post vaccination holding area to monitor for possible side effects before allowing them to leave.
The second dose of the vaccine will be given after four weeks.
“But as we wait for the second dose, and even after having vaccinated, we are appealing to everyone to still observe the minimum public health standards to keep us safe from the perils of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, we are hoping that the supplies of vaccines for our A2 and A3 groups will arrive soon,” Barrion said.