Key gov’t officials among first to get COVID-19 vaccine shots
Key officials in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were among the first to be vaccinated with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines as the country simultaneously kicked off its vaccination program in various sites.
Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi was inoculated with Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine in a ceremonial vaccination at PGH on Monday,
March 1.
In a livestream feed of state-run television PTV, the PGH head received the vaccine from nurse Sherlock Santos.
After Legaspi, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Eric Domingo, infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos also got inoculated using Sinovac vaccines.
"Until now, wala naman akong nararamdaman kahit yung injection site nga eh, hindi naman sya masakit. Wala naman akong nararamdaman na soreness at systemic symptoms like lagnat, pamimigat ng katawan (Until now, I haven't felt (any pain) even on the injection site. It doesn't hurt. I don't feel any soreness and systemic symptoms like fever, body pain),” he said during the Laging Handa press briefing on Monday, March 1.
Domingo said that he will still need to monitor himself “for the next 24 hours.”
“Ang galing po nung nurse namin sa PGH (Philippine General Hospital), ni hindi ko po naramdaman yung injection (Our nurse at PGH was good, I didn't even feel the injection),” he said.
Abalos is a COVID-19 survivor. It was July 2020 when Abalos, a former Mandaluyong City mayor, contracted COVID-19 along with his parents.
The MMDA chairman said that he volunteered to get vaccinated to ease the public’s anxiety over the COVID vaccines. He also said that the death of his mother last month inspired him to get inoculated.
He also cited Sinovac’s methodology and efficacy rate as the main reasons why he volunteered to get the jab.
Other officials who lined up for vaccination at PGH were Presidential spokesman Harry Roque and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr.
At the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Center (DJNRMC) in Caloocan City, its medical director, Dr. Alfonso Famaran, received the first dose of Sinovac vaccine shortly after 9:30 a.m. and said he did not feel any pain while being inoculated.
“The best comparison dito is… pneumococcal vaccine. Yung pneumococcal vaccine, 30 minutes after, meron ng pain sa injection site. Itong Sinovac, wala eh (With the pneumococcal vaccine, after 30 minutes, I felt pain in the injection site. But with Sinovac, none),” Famaran told reporters after his inoculation.
"Tapos yung entry ng vaccine... itong Sinovac [di ko napansin]... tapos na pala. Wala akong naramdaman kasi nilagyan nalang ng bandaid (I also didn’t notice the entry of the Sinovac needle. I was surprised that it’s already done. I did not feel anything until I realized that they were already putting bandaid on my shoulder),” he added.
Since he is allergic to penicillin and seafood, the hospital’s medical chief said he had to be monitored for 30 minutes until he was cleared of possible adverse effects.
Testing Czar Secretary Vince Dizon, who was also present in the rollout and received a vaccine shot, agreed with Famaran.
“Lahat ng sinabi ni Doc, ‘yun din naramdaman ko (I also experienced what Dr. Famaran experienced),” he said, “Mas masakit yung flu vaccine. Doon, medyo nakaramdam ako ng sakit. Dito wala akong naramdaman at all (Flu vaccine, for me, is more painful. When I got vaccinated against the flu, I felt a bit of pain. But with COVID, I didn’t feel anything at all).”
Dr. Eileen Aniceto, the first recipient of the Sinovac vaccine at the Lung Center of Philippines in Quezon City, praised Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III in administering the vaccine to her.
“Magaan ang kamay ni Dr. Duque, (The hand of Dr. Duque is light),” she told reporters.
After she received her first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Aniceto is ready again to attend to her patients' needs.
“Magtratrabaho na ako (I’m going to work),” said Aniceto as she laughed.