Vaccination drive in Lapu hospital starts

Dr. Deborah Custodio, head of ARC Hospital’s Emergency Medicine, receives her first dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine during their vaccination drive on Wednesday morning, March 10, 2021. | contributed photo

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu—The Allegiant Regional Care (ARC) Hospital in Barangay Agus here started its vaccination drive against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Dr. Alex Alegrado, medical director of ARC Hospital, said that out of over 300 employees, 264 of them have already given their consent to receive the Sinovac vaccine.

He said that the Department of Health in Region 7 has allocated 529 Sinovac vaccines to ARC hospital.

“We were lucky and fortunate to be given approximately 260 slots, meaning to say, [there is a] second dose,” Alegrado said.

He also said that they are planning to finish the first dose of the vaccination within two days.

Alegrado said they will continue to conduct  orientation to their employees to help convince those who are still having doubts or undecided to get immunized.

Dr. Fidji Tambago, the infectious disease specialist of ARC Hospital, is also urging other medical frontliners to take advantage of the vaccine and be immunized regardless of what brand is available.

He said that the pain in the vaccinated area and discomfort are only normal reactions of the body after receiving the vaccine.

“Hopefully it will trickle down to the elderly, and then eventually to the community. Hopefully, we can reach the herd immunity, and we can see the lowering of cases, especially the severe and critical patients in the hospital,” Tambago said.

Read: UCMed leads COVID-19 rollout in Mandaue City

/bmjo