CEBU CITY – Relief was written all over the face of a police major after he and other personnel from the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO Region 7) finally received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, July 8.
Police Major Rey delos Santos was one of the 150 PRO Region 7 policemen belonging to A4 category who were inoculated with AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Camp Sergio Osmeña, the home of the PRO 7 police, also known as “Amigo Cops.” “Now I am confident that I am protected against COVID-19. It is really hard when you get infected with the virus because it will affect your family and the community. At least now that I am vaccinated, I already have a peace of mind,” said Delos Santos.
Delos Santos said it was important for him to get vaccinated as one of the personnel of the PRO Region 7 Community Affairs and Development Division.
“As part of our community relations, we go around and encourage the people to take the vaccines. Now, I already have the moral ascendancy to tell the people to really have themselves vaccinated,” Delos Santos added.
Prior to the ceremonial vaccination at the PRO Region 7 Thursday, 1,710 personnel of the Regional Health Service have already completed their vaccination.
Police Lt. Col. Marilou Abaloc, chief of the Regional Medical and Dental Unit, said she hopes that more vaccines will come in to boost the PRO Region 7’s vaccination drive.
Abaloc said only 7.2 percent of the 12,233 PRO Region 7 personnel have been vaccinated. “We are hoping that in the coming weeks and months, we will be able to vaccinate our entire policemen in PRO 7,” said Abaloc.