The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas has received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.
Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones, Regional Vaccination Operations Center chief, said a total of 10,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses arrived at the Iloilo International Airport on Wednesday morning, March 10.
The vaccine, called AZD1222, has an efficacy rate of 63.09% against symptomatic COVID-19 infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Pulmones said senior health workers in the region will be prioritized in the first batch of AstraZeneca’s vaccines.
“Ang mga health workers nga senior citizens na or above 60 years old ang aton hatagan kay ang Sinovac is only for 18-59 years old. So ang mga more than 59 years old, amo na ang aton i-prioritize for the allocation sang AstraZeneca vaccine doses,” she told reporters.
Western Visayas received the initial batch of Sinovac vaccine doses on March 5.
Another 16,880 doses of the China-made vaccine arrived in the region on March 10.
Unlike the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Sinovac vaccine is not reccomended for elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions.IMT
