More than 40,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Davao City and Bicol Region.
A total of 20,000 doses landed at the Davao International Airport past 7 o’clock Wednesday morning and were brought to the storage facility of the Department of Health in Region 11 (DOH-11).
A total of 10,000 healthcare workers, including those over 59 years old, will be added in the vaccination list of the region where prioritization for levels 1, 2, and 3 hospitals will be followed.
The target rollout date of the vaccine will be over the weekend which will follow a first come, first served basis. Excess CoronaVac and AstraZeneca vaccines will immediately be allocated to local healthcare workers assigned in molecular laboratories and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.
Meanwhile, 22,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines allocated for the Bicol Region have landed at the Legazpi City Airport. DOH Bicol vaccine coordinator Dr. Rita Mae Ang-Bon said the vaccines, including the initial batch of CoronaVac, are sufficient to cover 17,000 priority hospital personnel in the region.
Around 1,800 health workers have been so far vaccinated in the region. Simulation exercises have been set this week in preparation for the mass vaccination.
A total of 1,200 doses of CoronaVac were also delivered last Monday to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Bicol for its health personnel in Albay and Camarines Sur. – Reports from Jay Lagang/PTV Davao and Danica Caballero/PIA Bicol