By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has been included in the list of officials in the province who are due to be inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

In an interview yesterday morning, Lacson said he is currently waiting for word from Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, although he requested that he receives the vaccine alongside senior citizens.
“I’m currently waiting, and I’m willing to have myself vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine,” Lacson said.

He said he is more than convinced now that the Sinovac vaccine from China is effective, and he pointed out he can get the second dose in four weeks compared to the AstraZeneca vaccine which takes at least eight to 12 weeks.

Lacson also pointed out that the AstraZeneca vaccines ordered by the local government units are tentatively scheduled to arrive in July, and therefore if he takes the AstraZeneca jab early it would be difficult to see if additional supplies would be immediately available for the second dose.

Earlier on Saturday, April 17, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia formally received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Bacolod City Government Center.

The National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center of the Department of Health recently allowed local chief executives (LCEs) in areas deemed “critical and high risk” to be inoculated.

Only 28 LCEs in Western Visayas have been included in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination adjusted priority list. These included all governors in the region, one mayor from a highly urbanized city (Leonardia) and 21 other mayors from various towns and cities./DGB, WDJ