First jab. JBLMGH chief Dr. Monserrat Chichioco gets jab of Sinovac. Contributed photo
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The head of the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital has gone on record as the first to be inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine in Pampanga.
Dr. Monserrat Chichioco was joined during the symbolic vaccination Monday at JBLMGH by infectious disease consultant Edwin Pasumbal and staff nurse Francis Edward Candoy.
After the jab, Chichioco urged healthcare workers and the public to get the vaccines pointing out that this would prevent the spread of Covid-19, and avert severe infection.
“Being the first to be vaccinated, all I can say is it doesn’t hurt much. It feels like the ordinary vaccines given to us, and it will guarantee our protection for all. Let us trust the vaccines of the national government that is doing everything to give us something to fight against Covid-19,” she said.
“We are prepared for the deployment of the vaccines. Our team is ready to deploy about 4,000 vaccines that have been promised to us by the Department of Health–Central Luzon Center for Health Development. We aim to inoculate 30 percent of healthcare workers in the province with these vaccines,” she shared.
As of Monday, some 400 healthcare workers at JBLMGH have been vaccinated.
The hospital targets to inoculate another 450 on March 9, and schedules another 800 for the succeeding days.
Chichioco disclosed that aside from the 846 doses of Sinovac vaccines, the hospital will receive additional 3,470 vials of AstraZeneca vaccines.
“In the next few days, we will also be receiving AstraZeneca vaccines. We will also have a program on the inoculation of that brand. After the healthcare workers the next priority are senior citizens,” she said.
The hospital chief underscored the significance of the symbolic vaccination as meant to honor the frontlinerswho dedicated, and even lost, their lives during this pandemic.
“The previous year had been challenging for us because of the Covid-19 pandemic but we have proven our resilience amidst the adversities. The efforts and hard work of various experts led to the breakthrough in the development of the vaccines, and geared us to this fight against Covid-19,” she said.
Chichioco furthered that the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for Covid-19 aims to bring together national government agencies, local government units, and the private sector to ensure the success of the vaccination program for Filipinos.
JBLMGH medical frontliners are set to receive their second dose of vaccine by the first week of April. —Jag Lyra D. Costamero/PIA–3
