Valenzuela conducts COVID-19 vaccination dry run

The city government of Valenzuela on Tuesday conducted a dry run of its COVID-19 vaccination rollout, according to Bam Alegre's report on Unang Balita.

During the dry run, the transport of the vaccines from the cold storage facility to the designated vaccination area in Malinta Elementary School took only 15 minutes.

Mayor Rex Gatchalian said the process for vaccination will only take 15 minutes or less and another 30 to 45 minutes for the post-vaccination stage, where recipients will be checked for possible side effects.

At the first stage, recipients will have to present their QR code, undergo body temperature check, and sanitize their hands upon entry to the vaccination area as part of minimum health protocols.

Recipients will also have to present their QR code, which is also being used for contact tracing, so that the operator at the registration area can print their basic information

“Ito 'yung registration area. Lahat kasi bibigyan ng schedule so naka-socially distance sila, ‘yung time slots natin,” Gatchalian said in an interview on Unang Balita.

“Pag-scan ng ating operator, mapi-print yung kanyang record. Ang gagawin lang dito babasahin 'yung basic information -- name, address, telephone number,” he added.

At the second stage, the recipients will proceed to the counseling room where they will undergo briefing and orientation about the vaccine products and their side effects, Gatchalian said. The recipients will also have to sign a waiver and consent form.

At the third stage, recipients will proceed to medical screening to check their vital signs. A doctor will evaluate if the recipients can continue with the vaccination considering their co-morbidities, medication, and allergy.

The actual vaccination will be conducted at the fourth stage. After the inoculation, the recipients will receive a “passport.”

"You will be getting a passport of sorts. So ang tawag namin 'yung VCVax Passport. Dito nakalagay kung kailan mo nakuha 'yuing bakuna mo and kalian ‘yung second mo na,” Gatchalian said.

As part of the city’s information campaign, the recipients of the vaccine will receive a pin button with the statement, “Bakunado na ako. Tayo na para sa ligtas na Valenzuela.”

At the final stage, Gatchalian said the recipients will stay at the post-vaccination area for 30 to 45 minutes as medical practitioners monitor them for possible side effects like nausea.

With three teams in the designated site, the mayor said they target to vaccinate 3,000 people daily.

Valenzuela secured around 640,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca that will cover 70% of the city’s population. The national government will provide additional supply of the vaccines.

Gatchalian said the Valenzuela government will comply with the prioritization of recipients set by the Department of Health.

The online registration for the vaccination in the city, VCVax Portal, opened Monday afternoon. According to Gatchalian, around 4,000 residents already signed up for inoculation. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News