AFP starts vaccinating personnel vs. COVID-19

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and its branches on Tuesday conducted separate ceremonial vaccinations where at least 120 medical healthcare workers were inoculated againstCOVID-19.

AFP spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo said at least 30 personnel are expected to get vaccinated by Sinovac's CoronaVac's vaccine in each health facility.

At the Camp Aguinaldo General Hospital, among the first recipients of the shots were Office of Chief Nurse’s chief admin officer Lieutenant Colonel Jacquelyn Cloma, operations officer Major Francis Jan Andrade, and assistant chief nurse Major Dennis Delgado.

Meanwhile, at the Manila Naval Hospital, the health facility’s commander, Colonel Puralyn, led the vaccination of Philippine Navy and Philippine Marines personnel.

For the Philippine Army, Lieutenant Colonel Teresita Merioles led the vaccination at the Army General Hospital in Fort Bonifacio.

At the Philippine Air Force General Hospital, Major Irene Abutas will lead the health personnel of the Philippine Air Force in the inoculation, Arevalo said.

In a separate statement, AFP chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, who attended the event in camp Aguinaldo, urged the military to support and trust the government’s vaccination program.

“As the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and in full confidence of our government’s pursuit of promoting the interests for our people; I urge our troops to wholeheartedly support our government’s vaccination program,” he said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also attended the event.

Sobejana has made vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory.

Of the 600,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccine that arrived in the country on Sunday, 100,000 were allotted for military personnel.  —KBK, GMA News