FILE PHOTO: A vial and syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken January 11, 2021. REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines — The Manila City Government on Thursday started with the COVID-19 vaccination of healthcare workers using Pfizer doses at the Sta. Ana Hospital.
As of posting, some 170 healthcare workers have already received their Pfizer jabs but the local government’s goal is to vaccinate up to 210 medical frontliners.
Sta. Ana Hospital Director Dr. Grace Padilla said personnel from five other district hospitals observed the vaccination as they prepare to conduct their respective vaccine rollouts using the remaining part of the 7,020 Pfizer doses the city government received on Tuesday.
“Nag-oobserve sila dito sa amin para sa mga susunod na araw, sila po ay magbabakuna na rin ng Pfizer para mas marami tayong maakap,” Padilla was quoted as saying in the local government’s statement.
(They are observing here so that in the coming days, they would conduct vaccination using Pfizer on their own so many more could be accommodated.)
For his part, Manila Health Department (MHD) chief Arnold Pangan encouraged qualified vaccinees to get their shots in the coming days as more doses will be arriving in the city.
“Huwag po kayong mag-alala kung hindi po kayo nakapagpabakuna today dahil sa mga darating na araw, marami pa pong pagbabakuna ang gagawin natin — Sabado, Linggo, tuloy-tuloy po tayo,” he was quoted as saying in the same statement.
(Don’t worry if you did not get your shots today, because, in the coming days, we would conduct more vaccination — [even] on Saturday and Sunday we will not stop.)
Manila has since administered the first dose of various vaccines to 84,257 individuals in the city, of whom 52,189 already received their second dose, according to the MHD.
As of Thursday, the city reported a total of 60,790 COVID-19 cases including 1,950 active cases, 57,702 recoveries, and 1,138 deaths, according to the MHD.
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