Manila COVID-19 vaccination drive kicks off; Honey gets first jab

BY MINKA TIANGCO

Manila Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan was the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine shot in the city as the city rolled out its own vaccination drive on Tuesday.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso led the symbolic vaccination of frontline health workers with CoronaVac jabs at Sta. Ana Hospital.

Around 3,000 vials of the COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac for 1,500 individuals were turned over to the hospital on Monday.

The city government is targeting to vaccinate up to 200 people per day. Frontline health workers are on top of the city’s priority list for the vaccine.

Lacuna-Pangan, a doctor, encouraged the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

“Honestly, hindi ko alam na natapos na pala ‘yung pagbabakuna sa akin kaya hinihikayat ko po ang lahat na proteksyunan niyo po ang sarili niyo,” she said.

“Magpabakuna po kayo habang andidito po at may pagkakataon, lalong lalo na po ang ating medical frontliners,” she added.

Other officials who got vaccinated were acting city health officer Arnold “Poks” Pangan, Sta. Ana Hospital director Dra. Grace Padilla, Sta. Ana’s Manila Infectious Disease Control Center head Dra. Nerissa Sescon, Ospital ng Sampaloc director Dra. Aileen Lacsamana, and Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center head Karl Laqui.

Domagoso, meanwhile, said he would wait for a proper clearance for him to get vaccinated as policy stated that medical frontliners are the priority for the COVID-19 vaccines.

“Gustong-gusto ko na magpabakuna ng Sinovac. Pitong beses na akong na-expose sa COVID-19 positive. Salamat sa Diyos, pitong beses na rin akong nag-negative,” he said.

“Araw-araw akong nasa risk tulad ng ibang mga mayor. Pero patuloy pa rin tayong susunod sa national policy na unahin ang mga medical frontliner. I will wait for my turn,” he added.