DOH CHD-1 intensifies info drive on vaccination program vs. COVID-19

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Mar.6 (PIA) - To encourage more health care workers in the Ilocos Region to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) continuously conducts information dissemination for the public to get the accurate details.

Dr. Rheuel Bobis, medical officer IV of the DOH Ilocos Center for Health Development, served as guest in PIA La Union's radio program dubbed as "Tugstugan at Balitaan" on Friday to discuss the 14,400 vials of Sinovac vaccine which the region had received a day before.

According to Bobis, these doses are allocated for some of 7,097 health practitioners across eight referral hospitals in the Ilocos as they are the first in the priority list.

This negates various claims and hearsay that these vaccines will be distributed among local officials and many others.

"May sinusundan po tayong tinatawag na 'prioritization' at 'yong top priority po ang uunahin natin," he said.

To date, 51 percent of said population of health workers have already signified their interest to get vaccinated.

"Sa ngayon po, according sa survey na isinagawa natin sa mga hospitals, 51 percent lamang 'yong mga willing magpabakuna. Sa ngayon po ay kalahati lamang po ng mga bakuna ang naidistribute natin," he said.

The doctor assured that this brand of vaccine is safe and effective as this was tested by experts and was granted with the emergency use utilization.

"Ang Sinovac po ay approved na ng Food and Drug Administration. Mayroon po siyang emergency use utilization, ibig sabihin po ay ito po ay masusing napag-aralan at siya po ay effective at safe," he explained.

Bobis also clarified that the vaccines are free.

He called for his fellow workers in the medical field to take part in the vaccination program of the government to prevent further transmission of the deadly virus.

He said, "Ating pong suportahan 'yong pagbabakuna para 'yong transmission po ng COVID-19 ay mapababa natin hindi lamang dito sa region kundi sa buong bansa."

Further, the DOH encourages the public to rely only on reliable sources of information to obtain factual data.

"Huwag po tayong maniwala sa mga haka-haka. panatilihin po natin na ang kukunin po natin na mga balita at impormayson ay galing sa mga verified sources gaya po ng Philippine Information Agency at Department of Health," he said.

Meanwhile, the roll out of this first batch of vaccine is now on-going. (AMB/CGRC/PIA La Union)