Philippines puts Sinovac shots to work

The Philippines launched its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Monday, a day after the arrival in Manila of a batch of a vaccine donated by China.

The first recipient of the vaccine－made by Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech－was Gerardo Legaspi, a prominent neurosurgeon and director of the Philippine General Hospital, or PGH, in the national capital.

Legaspi urged Filipinos, especially health workers, to get the vaccine, saying it is safe.

"The decision to pick Sinovac is based on science, and it took Philippine experts six weeks to carefully study the vaccine," he told a news conference.

Vaccinations were carried out at hospitals in Metro Manila shortly after Legaspi got the vaccine, known as CoronaVac.

The health department said the vaccine "will also be rolled out in other parts of the country in the coming days".

The government aims to inoculate up to 70 million Filipinos this year to achieve herd immunity.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took delivery of the Sinovac vaccine at an airport in the capital on Sunday. "The efficacy is good," said Duterte, urging Filipinos to get the shots.

Xinhua