Marikina doctors urge public to get Covid-19 vax

MANILA – Doctors of the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (ARMMC) on Tuesday urged the public to take any of the vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

During the ceremonial rollout of Covid-19 vaccines at the Marikina Sports Complex, four physicians — Dr. Emerson U. Chua, Dr. Flordeliza F. Grana, Dr. Alih Bryan T. Catis, and Dr. Rocky R. Dizon, were inoculated with the CoronaVac vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech.

Dizon, 41, an internist who has been in the profession for 10, years said he is very happy now that he is inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Very happy. Finally, I got vaccinated. This is what we are waiting for. To our fellow healthcare workers, let’s grab the opportunity. The vaccine that we want is here so might as well take the opportunity to be vaccinated. From the start, I am willing to be vaccinated with whatever comes first,” Dizon told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.

Catis, 42, a General Surgery doctor, echoed Dizon’s call and urged the public to get vaccinated.

Chua, 49, an anesthesiologist, said the vaccination will give the people an extra layer of protection against the virus.

“I am inviting everyone. Let’s get vaccinated because this will help protect us from having a severe case of Covid-19,” Chua said.

For her part, Dr. Justine Alessandra Uy, 35, a pathologist at the ARMMC, said this vaccine will be of great help to health workers, especially those exposed to Covid-19 patients.

“I’m getting vaccinated. We can also start helping ourselves before helping our fellow Filipinos. Actually, I have a preferred vaccine but I cannot wait forever,” Uy said.

Officials from the National Task Force against Covid-19 led by its chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Health Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan, Interior Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, and Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro graced the rollout of the vaccination program in the city.

Teodoro had earlier offered to be inoculated first in the city as he wants to lead by example to boost the confidence of the public on the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, minutes before his scheduled inoculation, he was informed by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), through testing czar, Secretary Vince Dizon, that mayors are prohibited from taking the vaccine for now in order to give way to healthcare workers.

Sinovac’s CoronaVac is the third Covid-19 vaccine brand after Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca approved by the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use.

On Sunday, the Philippines received the initial 600,000 doses of the vaccines donated by China to the Philippines in a simple turnover ceremony led by President Rodrigo Duterte at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.