Bohol receives over 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses

Dr. Lawrence Elliot Tirol, Senior Executive Assistant of the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City, Bohol is the first Boholano to receive Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine on March 6, 2021. Leo Udtohan/Inquirer Visayas

TAGBILARAN CITY- Hope finally arrives in Bohol following the delivery of over 2,000 doses of CoronaVac, Sinovac of China’s COVID-19 vaccine Saturday morning.

The 2,860 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are enough for the staff and employees of Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH), said its medical chief, Dr. Mutya Kismet Tirol-Macuno.

The biggest government hospital in the province, GCGMH has 1,078 employees. A total of 1,002 signed to be vaccinated.

Macuno said the vaccines enjoyed 93 percent acceptance in the hospital, the highest in Central Visayas.

First to be vaccinated was Dr. Lawrence Elliot Tirol, senior executive assistant of GCGMH.

Aside from Tirol, Cyd Charris Castillo, Finance Service head, Ellan Lyll Salada, infection control chief, Flor Anabelle Cesar, assistant chief nurse and Mary Grace Gallito, chief administrative officer of GCGMH were also inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine.

Local officials who attended the rollout were Gov. Arthur Yap and Bohol 1st district Rep. Edgar Chatto.

In a speech during the ceremonial rollout, Chatto urged government agencies to intensify the education drive to boost vaccine confidence through a clear vaccination roadmap.

“The vaccines have arrived and we enter a new phase and new challenge to make our people understand what are these vaccines and how it can help us,” Yap said.

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