Duque, Galvez to receive Sinovac jabs Monday morning
By Deighton Acuin
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| PHOTO: ABS-CBN News |
To bolster public confidence in government’s vaccination program, Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III are set to receive coronavirus vaccines developed by China-based Sinovac Biotech on Monday morning, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said Sunday.
Interviewed over Dobol B sa News TV, Go made the confirmation that Duque and Galvez will receive Sinovac doses after its delivery on Sunday afternoon.
Galvez will get the dose at Philippine General Duque while Duque will receive the dose either at the Lung Center of the Philippines or East Avenue Medical Center.
"Kahit hindi pa dumarating ang mga susunod na mga bakuna, mauna na sila. Ibig sabihin nagtiwala sila sa bakunang ito," Go said.
"Mauuna na silang magpapabakuna para ipakita sa publiko na magtiwala tayo sa ating gobyerno at sa ginagawa ng gobyerno na tanging ang bakuna lang ang pag-asa," Go added.
Go said he and President Rodrigo Duterte will also get vaccinated, also jabs that will be inoculated to Duterte will depend on the advice of his doctors due to his age.
Sinovac was earlier said to be recommended to clinically healthy individuals aged 18 to 59 years old. Duterte will turn 76 this March.
"Depende 'yan sa kanyang doktor. Kapag sinabi niyang puwede ito, Sinovac, Sinopharm or AstraZeneca o Moderna, kung ano ang sinabi ng doktor sa kanya, 'yun ang ituturok sa kanya," Go said.
"Pero hindi na question kung magpapabakuna siya o hindi. Sure na magpapabakuna dahil kailangan ipakita ng Pangulo na dapat magpabakuna ang ating mga kababayan," he added.
Aside from 600,000 Sinovac doses, the Philippines will also receive 525,600 vaccine doses from British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca through World Health Organization (WHO)-led COVAX Facility on Monday at around noon.
Galvez said the arrival of more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines starting Sunday officially kicks off the national vaccination program.
The Philippines targets to inoculate 50 to 70 million individuals within the year.
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