Bataan frontliners start to get Sinovac jabs

A medical frontliner in Bataan is among the first to get the CoronaVac vaccine against COVID-19 during the launch of the local vaccination program of the province on Monday. Photo by Greg Refraccion

CITY OF BALANGA –– At least 5,000 healthcare workers and other frontliners are expected to get inoculated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bataan province which kicked off its vaccination program on Monday, March 8.

Dr. Gloria Baltazar, chief of the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), was the first medical frontliner to receive the CoronaVac jab during the ceremonial vaccination at BGHMC annex here.

Rubilyn Rubia, BGHMC chief nurse, and other key hospital personnel were also inoculated with the vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. in China.

The Department of Health (DOH) has allotted 417 doses of the vaccine for Bataan’s frontliners.

Gov. Albert Garcia said the distrust for the China-made vaccines was evident when these first arrived in the country.

But Garcia said he was surprised to learn that more people have eventually expressed interest in getting it.

“These vaccines are our only protection [from COVID-19],” Garcia said.

Testing czar Vince Dizon, the guest during the ceremony, said more vaccines would arrive in the province this month.

Dizon said he instructed the DOH regional office to send the next batch of vaccines made by British-Swede pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca to the province.

LZB