Manila begins inoculating Sputnik V vaccines to medical frontliners

CALOOCAN CITY, May 5 (PIA) -- Manila City on Tuesday began inoculating its medical frontliners using Russia's Sputnik V vaccines at the Sta. Ana Hospital.

The vaccines, which were received by the city on Monday, May 3, were produced by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

Vice Mayor Maria Sheilah "Honey" Lacuna-Pangan said medical frontliners will be jabbed first before proceeding to other priority groups set by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Tasked Force (IATF).

"Gaya na rin po ng bilin ng ating alkade, Mayor Isko Moreno, susundin po namin yung catergory na inilatag po satin ng IATF at ng DOH. So magsisimula po tayo sa medical frontliners, yung mga A1," Lacuna-Pangan said.

"Pagkatapos po nun, kung wala na pong nag-aavail in how many days time siguro in 2-3 days, ay ibibigay na po natin yan sa susunod na category," the Vice Mayor, who is also a doctor, explained.

Present during the vaccination rites were City Administrator Felix Espiritu, Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, DOH NCR Director Dr. Gloria Balboa, and Assistant Secretary of Health Elmer Punzalan.

City Health Officer Dr. Arnold "Poks" Pangan said vials are sufficient to vaccinate 3,000 medical frontliners from the six district hospitals and national government hospitals in the city.

As of 12:00 pm, about 59 medical frontliners have already been vaccinated using the Sputnik V vaccine.

"Dito sa Maynila, kapag meron po kaming paninda, bukas po ang aming mga tindahan para po kami magbakuna. Kami po dito sa Pamahalaang Lungsod ng Maynila ay gagawin ang lahat para po ang ating mga Batang Maynila ay mabakunahan the soonest possible time," Dr. Pangan said.

Sta. Ana Hospital Director Dr. Grace Padilla said that while about 70 percent of the hospital's healthcare workers have already been vaccinated, those who haven't been jabbed are still encouraged to get inoculated.

"We kept on encouraging them na magpabakuna na sila because we are in a COVID-19 center, so ang risk namin ay mas mataas than any other healthcare workers," Dr. Padilla said.

About 79,593 medical frontliners, senior citizens, and those with comorbidities have been vaccinated by the Manila City Government as of 6 pm on Monday, May 3. Out of this number, 25,341 have received their second dose. (PIA NCR)