Members of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) stand at attention during a flag-raising ceremony.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) expects to vaccinate at least 400 personnel soon as the Department of Health in Central Visayas has approved their request for COVID-19 vaccines.
This after 26 police officers of CCPO received their first dose of Sinovac vaccine on Monday, July 5 in DOH-7.
From the 56 applicants that were supposed to be vaccinated that day, only 26 attended the vaccination since the 30 others already got their jabs in other vaccination sites.
READ: CCPO exec: At least 56 police officers to be vaccinated next week
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the CCPO, was one of those vaccinated including Police Colonel Josefino Ligan himself.
Parilla said that they let all officials be inoculated first to encourage other police personnel to enlist in the vaccination program.
Although vaccination is not mandatory, Parilla said that almost all CCPO personnel have expressed willingness to get jabbed regardless of what vaccine brand is available.
The CCPO is at least 1,200-strong including Non-Uniformed Personnel (NUP).
For now, Parilla said the 400 will be screened to know who among them have already been vaccinated and those who are willing to get the shot.
Parilla said that this is crucial for the policemen since they too can be considered frontliners since they are always on the ground, conducting operations, and are thus prone to infection.
READ: Cebu City cops willing to get COVID vaccines