AFP vaccinates 14,969 military medical frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — With the vaccine rollout in full swing, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced yesterday that it has already inoculated 14,969 military medical frontliners in various AFP treatment facilities around the country.

Military chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said a total of 39,000 vials of COVID-19 vaccines have been transported, paving the way for the inoculation of frontline personnel.

“The AFP’s delivery of the coronavirus vaccines is now in full gear in support of the government’s vaccination campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic… We hope to contribute to the speedy restoration of normalcy in the country,” Sobejana said.

As of yesterday, 30,600 vials of CoronaVac were received in 16 military facilities in Luzon including the V. Luna Medical Center, Camp Aguinaldo Station Hospital, Philippine Army General Hospital, Philippine Air Force General Hospital and Manila Naval Hospital.

Also receiving the vaccines were the Wallace Air Station Medical Infirmary and the Naval Station Ogbinar in La Union; Fort Del Pilar Station Hospital in Benguet; Fort Magsaysay Station Hospital in Nueva Ecija; Basa Air Base Hospital and Air Force City Hospital in Pampanga; Camp Aquino Station Hospital in Tarlac; Camp Guillermo Nakar Station Hospital in Lucena; Cavite Naval Hospital; Camp Elias Angeles Station Hospital in Camarines Sur and Naval Station Julhasan Arasain Medical Dispensary in Albay.

At least 13,555 personnel were vaccinated in all those facilities.

In the Visayas, the AFP delivered 4,200 vials to the facilities at Camp Peralta Station Hospital in Capiz; Benito N. Ebuen Air Base Hospital, Camp Lapu-Lapu Station Hospital and Naval Base Rafael Ramos Medical Dispensary in Cebu; and Camp Vicente Lukban Station Hospital in Samar.

Only 684 frontline personnel have so far been vaccinated.

The same number of vials were also sent to six facilities in Mindanao – Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Misamis Oriental; Camp Panacan Station Hospital in Davao del Norte; Camp Manuel T. Yan Sr. Station Hospital in Davao City; Camp Gonzalo H. Siongco Station Hospital in Maguindanao; Camp Navarro General Hospital and Edwin Andrews Air Base Hospital in Zamboanga del Sur.

At least 730 personnel were vaccinated in these facilities.

For the continuous delivery of vaccines to other authorized vaccination facilities nationwide, the AFP said it continues to utilize its land and air assets, including the newly acquired Blackhawk helicopters, which were used in the delivery of 1,800 doses of CoronaVac and 58 boxes of personal protective equipment to Basco, Batanes. –  Romina Cabrera, Roel Pareño