CEBU CITY, Philippines – More healthcare workers in Cebu received their first shot of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.
The University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed) began its vaccination drive on Wednesday, March 10, making it the first hospital to do so in Mandaue City.
UCMed President Candice Gotianuy led Wednesday’s ceremonial rollout wherein 50 medical frontliners were administered with their first dose of CoronaVac, Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine brand.
A total of 1,230 doses of CoronaVac were allocated to UCMed, which is part of the 24,000 vials the national government has set aside for Level 2 and Level 3 hospitals in Central Visayas.
UCMed is targeting to inoculate around 1,000 of their workers, particularly those who regularly attend to confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients.
Their inoculation campaign will span up to five days.
Gotianuy, who also received her vaccine shot on Wednesday, revealed that they ordered additional vaccine doses not only for their own hospital workers but also for teachers from the University of Cebu and government frontliners.
These vaccines are from Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Novovax.
“This is our way of helping the economy grow and our country to move forward,” said Gotianuy.
A week after the first COVID-19 vaccination campaign was rolled out in Central Visayas, the Department of Health here (DOH-7) recorded a total of 4,032 healthcare workers who received their first inoculation. / rcg
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