Dr Gerardo Aquino Jr, medical center chief of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), was the first Cebuano to be injected with the Sinovac vaccine in Cebu City on Thursday, March 4.

“As a medical doctor, we know vaccines are very important in the prevention of this pandemic which is why we, the officials of VSMMC, are getting it first to show that there is really nothing to fear,” Aquino said during a Malacañang press briefing in Cebu City in a mix of Filipino and English.

Following Dr Aquino, the following doctors and COVID-19 response officials were also publicly vaccinated in Cebu City:

• Dr Juanito Tiu, hospital chief of Saint Anthony Mother and Child Hospital
• Dr Pythagoras Zerna of the Eversley Child Sanitarium
• Retired General Melquiades Feliciano, IATF Visayas chief implementer

According to Aquino, as of Wednesday evening, March 3, 1,245 healthcare workers consented to get immunized with the Sinovac vaccine.

This is up from only 768 workers who previously said they would get the vaccine.

Play Video

Aquino became the VSMMC chief in 2006, but before that, he was the former chief of hospital of the Eversley Child Sanitarium in Jagobiao, Mandaue City.

Cebu City is the second city area outside of Metro Manila to begin vaccinating residents.

Must Read

COVID-19 vaccines have arrived, but are Filipinos willing to get them?

At least 7,200 doses arrived in Cebu on Tuesday, March 2.

More are expected to arrive in the next week, including doses from the shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines that will arrive on Thursday evening, March 4 in Manila. – Rappler.com