Two days after the first batch of Sinovac vaccines arrived in the country, the province of
Bohol organized its vaccination team to roll out the doses on healthcare workers. These vaccines, which were made by Sinovac Biotech, were donated by China to the country [1]. About 600,000 doses arrived in the country, and the province of Bohol received a total of 2,860 vials which were distributed in its capital, thus launching the
vaccination drive in Tagbilaran City [2].
Prioritizing medical frontliners in hospitals, the provincial government started its
vaccination drive in Tagbilaran City at the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) last March 6, 2021. It is the first Department of Health (DOH)-run hospital to receive and roll out COVID-19 vaccines in the province. The first person to get vaccinated was Dr. Lawrence Elliot Tirol, who received the Sinovac vaccine during a ceremonial vaccination program.
According to Chief Dr. Mutya Kismet Macuno, out of 1,078 health workers and employees, 1,002 registered to be vaccinated against COVID-19 [3]. Even though the vaccination program in Tagbilaran City has already begun, Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Yul Lopez said that medical workers are not required to be vaccinated. They are also allowed to select their preferred brand of vaccines once these are available.
Though GCGMH has the highest percentage of vaccine acceptance in Central Visayas, the government still urged its agencies to raise awareness within the Bohol community. Bohol Governor Arthur Yap said that the province faces a challenge to boost vaccine confidence among its residents and make its people understand that getting the vaccine is essential.
Earlier in January, the provincial government of Bohol had allotted PhP100 million pesos for COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, Tagbilaran City had allotted PhP15 million pesos for 24,000 doses of Astrazeneca vaccines which will arrive in July [4].
Visit
Yoorekka for more updates about the COVID-19 vaccination status in Tagbilaran City and the entirety of Bohol.
All details and information in this article are true and accurate as of the publication date. While we are doing our utmost effort to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the condition surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be unpredictable and the situation develops rapidly, so it’s possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since this article was published. For the latest advice, visit DOH and your LGU's official websites.
Sources:
[1] http://bit.ly/3rCGueE
[2] http://bit.ly/3qD2CEr
[3] http://bit.ly/30AzdjD
[4] http://bit.ly/2OIPYGs