A total of 1,608 healthcare workers in public and private hospitals in Bacolod City have been initially identified to receive the Comirnaty Pfizer-BioNtech-adapted bivalent vaccines for enhanced protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said yesterday he supports the continuing vaccination program as he underscored its importance in the fight against the virus.

“I applaud the commitment of the dedicated health care workers who have relentlessly served the community throughout the challenging times brought about by the pandemic,” he said.

In Bacolod, the vaccines have been administered every Friday, starting July 7, to allow the hospital frontliners to have the weekend to rest for adverse reactions.

Those who have already availed the bivalent vaccines include 132 frontliners from the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (Riverside Medical Center); 105 from The Doctors’ Hospital; 102 from the Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital; 54 from the South Bacolod General Hospital; and 66 from the Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center.

The reformulated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine has two essential components — the first corresponds to the original strain of the virus, providing broad protection against COVID-19, while the second is tailored to address the Omicron variant, a highly transmissible strain.

The vaccines are given as a third booster to the priority groups, particularly health care workers and senior citizens, and should be administered in designated health facilities.

Identified recipients for the initial rollout are those who received second booster doses four to six months ago. (PNA)