VACCINATION. A member of the Covid-19 response teams in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga receives the first dose of vaccine against Covid-19 at the Mini Convention Hall, Heroes Hall on Friday (March 26, 2021). A total of 300 front-liners have been inoculated since the arrival of the vaccines on March 21, 2021. (Photo by the City Government of San Fernando)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The city government is targeting to give coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) shots to some 1,021 front-liners with the ongoing inoculation program.
Some 300 members of the city’s Covid-19 response teams have so far received Covid-19 shots as of Friday after the Department of Health - Central Luzon Center for Health Development handed 94 AstraZeneca vaccine vials and 81 CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccine vials to the City Health Office (CHO) here last March 21.
The CHO prioritized the vaccination of the LGU’s Covid-19 response teams that include doctors, nurses, and employees working in the rural health units, Health and Emergency Management Staff, members of the Task Force Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), barangay health workers, barangay health and emergency response teams, response teams of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
The inoculation was held at the Mini Convention Hall, Heroes Hall here for the second straight day.
Mayor Edwin Santiago thanked the medical front-liners for their heroic role in the fight against Covid-19.
“During the surge of Covid-19 in 2020, and even until now, kayo ang naging sundalo at nakikipaglaban sa kalaban. Kayo ang naging sandalan ng siyudad sa napakahirap na sitwasyon kaya nararapat lang na kayo ang unang mabigyan ng proteksyon ngayong naririto na ang bakuna (During the surge of Covid-19 in 2020, and even until now, you became the soldiers and fought the enemy. You have been the backbone of the city in a very difficult situation so you deserve to be the first to be given protection now that the vaccine is here,” Santiago said in an official social media post on Friday.
All registered recipients of the vaccine underwent thorough screening and counseling before vaccination to ensure their health and safety.
After vaccination, they were monitored in the post-observation area in case adverse reactions or allergies develop.
If no adverse reaction or allergies developed, individuals inoculated with AstraZeneca will have to come back after eight weeks for their second dose while those who received CoronaVac shots will have to come back after four weeks to get a second dose.
Dr. Carlos B. Mercado, the city health officer in charge, said there is nothing to fear about the vaccines as he encouraged the Fernandinos to register for the LGU’s vaccination program.
“Huwag po tayong matakot magpabakuna, ito po ay hindi gamot sa Covid-19 pero ito po ay magbibigay proteksyon sa atin upang maiwasan ang mga kaso ng severe at fatality. Kaya inaanyayahan po namin ang lahat na magpa-rehistro at maki-isa sa programang pagbabakuna ng San Fernando. Rest assured, ang CHO po kasama ang ating medical units ay nakaantabay sa inyo sa entire process ng inyong vaccination (Let's not be afraid to get vaccinated. This is not a drug for Covid-19 but it will give us protection to prevent severe cases and fatalities. So, we invite everyone to register and join the San Fernando vaccination program. Rest assured, the CHO, together with our medical units, are on standby throughout the entire process of your vaccination),” Mercado said.
In the second week of April, he said, the DOH would give another set of vaccines that would benefit the rest of the front-liners in private clinics, dental clinics, and other medical laboratories in the city.
As of March 25, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the city was 2,090 with 273 active cases.
The total number of recoveries stood at 1,730, and the total number of deaths at 87. (PNA)
