Huge turnout as Tacloban City rolls out J&J COVID-19 vaccine

Senior citizens were among the first to benefit from the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine in Tacloban City. Image from Facebook/Tacloban City City Information Office

TACLOBAN CITY – Senior citizens and those with existing illnesses trooped to the two shopping malls which serve as the vaccination centers in this city to get inoculated with the US-made Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceuticals) vaccine.

Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, city health officer, said they are surprised by the huge turnout of people who want to be inoculated with the single-dose vaccine, unlike in previous days.

“When we started the vaccination last March 19, the most that we can have, particularly seniors, were just more than 400 a day,” she said.

On Tuesday, over 3,400 seniors and persons with comorbidities were inoculated.

Fabrigas said even those coming from outside Tacloban went to the vaccination sites only to be rejected as only qualified residents of the city are to be given the vaccines.

The last day for the vaccination using the Janssen vaccine would be on Thursday.

Gegie Kam said that she lined up as early as 6 a.m. to make sure she could receive the vaccine.

“I have scoliosis, among other ailments, and I will be flying to South Korea to be with my husband. Janssen only needs a single dose unlike others and is accepted in South Korea,” she said.

Since the start of the vaccination program in the city, around 45,000 people have been inoculated.

The number is still far from the city’s target of around 190,000 people from Tacloban in order to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.

EDV