OF THE 134,160 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 ( Covid-19) vaccines that the Department of Health (DOH) 7 has received, all except for 400 buffer doses of Sinovac have been distributed to various vaccination sites in the region.
In a text message to SunStar Cebu on Saturday, April 10, 2021, DOH 7 spokesperson Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said Central Visayas has received 104,160 doses of Sinovac and 30,000 doses of
AstraZeneca (AZ) as of Friday, April 9, 2021.The total number of individuals/health care workers who have been inoculated with AZ is 29,897.
A total of 9,874 health care workers have received their second dose of Sinovac, while 42,185 have received the first dose.
Loreche said they are still gathering data on spoiled vaccines, especially with AZ, wherein each vial contains shots for 10 individuals.
As for adverse events following immunization, the DOH 7 has logged 1,788 cases as of Wednesday, April 7, she said.
Only 16 cases were reported after the administering of the second dose, she said. The rest, or 1,772, were reported after the injection of the first dose.
Although there is no definite date yet as to when the vaccines for the next priority group – senior citizens and persons with co morbidities – will arrive, Loreche said they urge target recipients to register so they can be included in the master list for vaccination.
Based on their partial master list, a total of 558,912 senior citizens and 52,075 persons with comorbidities regionwide have already registered.
Loreche said individuals with comorbidities who will opt to register for vaccination in their respective local government units (LGUs) will have to present any of the following: a copy of medicine
prescription, medical certificate from their respective doctors, or a copy of their medical records or operative findings if applicable.
Loreche also said the Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Gamalea/Sputnik Covid-19 vaccine from Russia.
It is the fourth vaccine to be granted an EUA after Pfizer, Sinovac and AZ.
Meanwhile, the local business community said it has yet to receive any feedback on its appeal to vaccine makers to fast track the delivery of vaccines.
Business leaders expect the vaccines to arrive in the third or fourth quarter of the year.
According to Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Felix Taguiam, it will only be a matter of time before the vaccines will be available for distribution.“
Currently, members have registered for the Project Balik Buhay vaccination program but nevertheless, for the past few months, many groups like the Go Negosyo of Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Foundation and others have been offering vaccines for the private sector,” he said.
Many members have booked already and they are just waiting for the vaccines to arrive, he said.
He said vaccines that were offered months ago must be on the way.
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Steven Yu said there is a constant appeal to deliver earlier but it seems that there are no new earlier schedules.
“It is still the third or fourth quarter for now. There are constant appeals even from US Ambassador Babe Romualdez but no feedback yet,” he said. ( WBS, JOB)