Medical frontliners in the City of Manila have started getting the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the Sta. Ana Hospital on Thursday, May 13.
In a statement, the local government said that 210 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been deployed to inoculate healthcare workers through the six district hospitals of the city.
The city government received about 1,170 vials or 7,020 doses of Pfizer vaccines from the national government on Tuesday night. As of 12 p.m. on Thursday (May 13), 170 frontliners received their first dose of the vaccine.
Sta. Ana Hospital Director Dr. Grace Padilla said that personnel from other district hospitals have been trained on the proper handling of the Pfizer vaccines.
While Pfizer vaccines have an efficacy rate of 95 percent, Padilla explained that it should be handled "very meticulously" due to its recommended storage temperature of -70 degree Celsius.
City Health Officer Dr. Arnold 'Poks' Pangan encouraged medical frontliners to have themselves vaccinated.
"Iyong mga hindi pa nagpapabakuna, ito na po yung panahon para magpabakuna na kayo kasi marami na pong mga bakuna ang dumating (Those who have not yet been vaccinated, this is the time to seize the opportunity because more doses have arrived)," Pangan said.
As of 12 p.m. on Wednesday (May 12), about 84,257 individuals have already been vaccinated with the first dose of the different vaccine brands. A total of 52,189 have received their second dose.