GET VACCINATED. V. Luna Medical Center commanding officer Col. Fatima Claire Navarro speaks to reporters shortly after getting inoculated with the CoronaVac during the rollout of the government’s vaccination program on Monday (March 1, 2021). Navarro urged the public to get vaccinated with whatever brand is available to help protect themselves and their loved ones from the disease. (PNA photo by Priam Nepomuceno)
MANILA – The chief of the V. Luna Medical Center on Monday called on the public to help protect themselves, their loved ones, and families by getting inoculated with the available coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines.
Speaking to reporters shortly after getting vaccinated, Col. Fatima Claire Navarro said she decided to have herself vaccinated with Sinovac Biotech’s CoronaVac vaccine to get an extra layer of protection against the disease.
“Mas importante siguro mailigtas natin yung ating mga kababayan saka sarili natin, pamilya natin against Covid 19 na pwede ma-ICU (intensive care unit), malagay sa critical condition (It is more important for us to save our fellow Filipinos, ourselves, our families against Covid-19 and from being confined in the ICU or become critically ill),” she said.
Navarro added that she did not feel any pain shortly after the injection.
While stressing that all available Covid-19 vaccines are effective in combatting the disease, she said it is important to get vaccinated with any available brand at the soonest possible time.
“As a healthcare worker, naniniwala ako na malaki ang maitutulong ng vaccination na ito, Sinovac or any brand kasi po ang target natin is wala nang maging critical ang condition o mamatay dahil sa Covid-19 (I believe that this vaccination drive will greatly help, Sinovac or any brand, our target is that no one will be in critical condition or die because of Covid-19)," she said.
Meanwhile, Raymond Centeno, a civilian nurse at the military hospital who was among those who were inoculated with the vaccine, echoed Navarro’s call.
“So far, I did not feel any pain. After all, this was approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). I’m fine. I encourage other front-liners to avail of the Covid-19 vaccine. This is helpful to us, for our protection and also of our loved ones,” he told the Philippine News Agency.
Spare vaccination from politics
In a statement late Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana urged critics to spare the country’s vaccination program from politicking.
“Now is not the time to play doomsayer. Now is not the time for games. And most especially, now is not the time for politics. As our government rolls out its vaccination program, let us all work together to make it successful. Let us encourage our people to participate in the program and have themselves vaccinated,” Lorenzana said.
He added that spreading lies and disinformation about the Sinovac jabs will not do anything good.
“Sinovac has been supplying effective and affordable anti-rabies, anti-tetanus and flu vaccines to the Philippines since 2009. On the other hand, criticizing the vaccine without really knowing the technical facts will only discourage our people from joining the vaccination program,” he said.
He added that other Asian countries have started their vaccination program using Sinovac jabs.
“Let us spread facts. Countries like Thailand, which is the second richest in Southeast Asia, rolled out Sinovac in their vaccination program yesterday. Hong Kong, a progressive metropolis, uses it, too. Malaysia and Singapore have started to receive Sinovac as well,” he said.
He also urged critics to stop using the vaccines donated by China as political propaganda.
“It reflects badly on us as a nation. Ginagalit, tinatakot pa ng iilan ang mga tao sa kinakalat nilang mga fake news (They are enraging and threatening the public through the fake news that they spread). Please stop. Tama na muna ang pulitika. (Let’s set aside politics for now). Let us all heal as one,” he said. (PNA)
