There were 221 Negros Occidental provincial government employees who were vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City Thursday, May 20.
The inoculation of five other employees under the Barangay Kapitolyo Vaccination Program was deferred because they had very high blood pressure, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said.
They were not allowed to leave the vaccination venue until their blood pressure went down and they were advised to go to their doctors for checkups, Tumimbang said.
Tumimbang said 161 employees received AstraZeneca jabs and 60 had Sinovac.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is thankful to the Capitol employees who showed up and took the opportunity to be vaccinated.
The vaccination will complete compliance with minimum health protocols against COVID-19, he said.
“We hope with this, and hopefully with more vaccines coming to our province, we can slowly lower or avoid more COVID cases. Hopefully within this year we can complete this,” Lacson said.
There have been 47 provincial government employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 since April but several have since recovered.
The Barangay Kapitolyo target is to vaccinate about 2,000 Capitol employees plus those belonging to national government agencies such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Commission on Elections, National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration, Tumimbang said.
The Barangay Kapitolyo Vaccination Program is expected to last until June 4, he added.
Forty-one employees are scheduled for vaccination on Friday, May 21, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.
The Department of Health said while the vaccines will not fully protect one from COVID-19, it will prevent deaths, hospitalization and severe infections.
Tumimbang said the provincial government has not completed the vaccination of its health care workers, because they have to wait 10 to 12 weeks before they can administer the second AstraZeneca doses.*