Doses of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine which have been allocated for Bohol are set to be flown to the Mactan International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City on Friday, paving the way for mass inoculation in the province.
According to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), 9,640 doses of Sinovac vaccines for Central Visayas will be arriving in Cebu tomorrow morning.
Some 8,440 vials are allocated for Bohol through the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City, while the rest are bound for Dumaguete City.
“The Sinovac vaccines are set to arrive in Mactan Cebu International Airport from Manila at 7:40 AM. It will then be transported to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) Cold Room for sorting before the vaccines will be delivered to Bohol and Negros Oriental accordingly,” the OPAV said.
As with most COVID-19 vaccine variants, the Sinovac jab requires two doses. This means 4,220 individuals in Bohol will benefit from the initial batch.
Local authorities meanwhile have yet to confirm when the vaccines will be transported from Cebu to Bohol.
Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force spokesperson Dr. Yul Lopez earlier announced that the province has completed preparations for the implementation of the vaccination drive.
“Hipno na ang atong vaccination team dinhi sa Bohol, hipno na pud ang atong mga structure, aron sa pag-abot unya sa bakuna ug pag-implementar sa pagbakuna aduna nay tagsa-tagsa ka tahas aron madali ang pagpamakuna sa matag lungsod dinhi sa Bohol,” Lopez said on Tuesday.
According to Lopez, the government will be prioritizing the inoculation of medical frontliners.
“Ang apil ani ang mga taw sa matag-hospital, mga personnel sa municipal health office, mga doctor, nurse, midwives ug allied health professionals na nag-atubang sa atong mga COVID cases, apil na ang mga barangay health workers,” Lopez said.
However, health authorities have noted that vaccination is not mandatory even for front-line health workers.
Medical workers may opt not to get vaccinated or choose their preferred brand of the jabs once these are available.
Earlier today, vaccination in Cebu started as the province received 7,200 doses of the Chinese pharmaceutical’s vaccine.
The inoculation drive was conducted at the VSMMC.