Sinovac vaccines sent to some hospitals in Metro Manila

Some of the Sinovac vaccines received by the Philippines on Sunday have been delivered to various hospitals and medical centers in the metro, many of which will be holding symbolic first vaccinations on Monday morning.

The first legal shipment of vaccines to arrive in the country—600,000 doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine—landed at Villamor Airbase past 4 p.m. on a Chinese government plane. President Rodrigo Duterte and several members of his Cabinet, as well as Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, were on hand to witness their offloading into trucks to bring them to a storage facility in Marikina.

From Marikina, the vaccines were delivered to hospitals including the V. Luna Medical Center where the vaccines arrived before 1 a.m. Monday via a convoy secured by the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group, Quezon City Police District and PNP SWAT team.

V. Luna Medical Center

It took 40 minutes however before the V. Luna Medical Center's pharmacist officially received the 600 doses delivered by a refrigerated van, according to a report by James Agustin on GMA News' Unang Balita.

40 minutes after the arrival of the refrigerated van, Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccines have now been unloaded at the V Luna Medical Center. They were received by pharmacist of the hospital. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/N4ykY1Qbdc

— Darlene Cay (@DarleneCay) February 28, 2021

Thirty healthcare workers at this hospital will be inoculated with Sinovac.

“Those personnel who (will) get the vaccine are military doctors, military nurses and even civilian nurses. They are the one kasi na represented to be involved sa mga COVID areas or quarantine facility dito sa V. Luna Medical Center,” AFP Health Service Command assistant chief of the Public Information Office Captain Rhey Mallorca said.

The vaccination will be held at the gym. The hospital has designated a pre-vaccination and post-vaccination area. Those who will receive the vaccine will stay at the post-vaccination area for one hour for observation if any of them will manifest adverse side effects.

“We are all prepared when it comes to setup. It comes to the members of the teams na magbibigay ng vaccine. It comes to preparation. We do have screening area committee, registration committee,” Mallorca added.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana are expected to grace the ceremonial vaccination past 9 a.m. on Monday at the hospital.

Veterans Memorial Medical Center

A total of 1,200 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine meanwhile arrived past 3 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, according to a report by Corinne Catibayan on Unang Balita.

The process was fast, from the drop-off to the pharmacist's receipt of the vaccines at 3:42 a.m. 

The hospital designated an area in the parking lot for registration, then the vaccination will be done at the outpatient department far from the COVID ward.

The ceremonial vaccination program will start at 9 a.m. to be attended by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.

Lorenzana said he wanted to be first to be vaccinated but since he is beyond the age group identified to be ideal recipients of the Sinovac jab, he will not be inoculated on Monday.

Healthcare workers instead will be vaccinated first at this hospital.

At least 29 health workers of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, V. Luna Medical Center and staff of the Department of National Defense will be inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine.

PGH

Meanwhile, at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila, 1,200 doses of Sinovac vaccines were delivered at 2:20 a.m. Monday, according to a report by Mai Bermudez on Unang Balita.

This was after the refrigerated van first dropped off vaccines at the PNP General Hospital inside Camp Crame.

At PGH, from the van, the vaccines were loaded onto a platform trolley then brought inside the hospital.

Security was tight at the hospital since Sunday.

PGH spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario earlier said 12% of the hospital's 2,000 workers and staff agreed to be inoculated with Sinovac.

The ceremonial vaccination will be held at PGH at 9 a.m. with vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Food and Drug Administrator Dr. Eric Domingo, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno in attendance.

Lung Center

At 3:05 a.m. Monday, 600 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines were officially received by the pharmacist at the Lung Center of the Philippines after the refrigerated van arrived at 2:55 a.m. coming from prior delivery at V. Luna Medical Center, according to a report by Bam Alegre on Unang Balita.

WATCH: 2:55am dumating ang Sinovac vaccines sa Lung Center of the Philippines. Kaagad itong ibinaba at nireceive ng hospital staff. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/4NTj6gSAdW

— Darlene Cay (@DarleneCay) February 28, 2021

The hospital has areas for registration, screening, counseling, vaccination and monitoring.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Department of Health Regional Director Corazon Flores are expected to attend the ceremonial vaccination at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

Tala Hospital

Meanwhile, at the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium, also known as Tala Hospital, in Caloocan City, the vaccines arrived at 12:40 a.m., according to a report by Mariz Umali on Unang Balita.

A total of 600 doses of Sinovac vaccines were delivered at this hospital then stored at the pharmacy's storage facility. The vaccines require a temperature of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

The vaccination is set to start at 10:30 a.m. on Monday.

The hospital has designated a waiting area, registration area, vital signs area and screening area for those intending to be vaccinated.

After the vaccination on the second floor, those inoculated need to stay at a monitoring area for 15 minutes. Should anyone develop adverse effects, he or she will be brought to the treatment area or the emergency room.

To date Sinovac's CoronaVac is the only COVID-19 vaccine in the country. 

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which was supposed to arrive on Monday, has been delayed by a week due to supply issues.

Duterte thanked China for the shipment, which it donated, and urged vaccine-hesitant Filipinos to trust science and take the shot.

The Philippines has 576,352 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, including 12,318 deaths. — BM/KG, GMA News