Manila receives 400,000 Sinovac jabs

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno yesterday said he is hoping to achieve herd immunity in the city this year following the arrival of 400,000 doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccines procured by the local government.

Moreno was accompanied by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna in welcoming the arrival of two million Sinovac doses at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday.

At least 400,000 vaccine doses were purchased by the Manila city government for P298.5 million. The rest were procured by the national government.

The additional doses of Sinovac are enough to inoculate 200,000 residents, Moreno told reporters.

Moreno said he hoped to achieve population protection before September, the same target of the national government.

He said the arrival of the Sinovac vaccines was timely as the city commemorated yesterday its 450th founding anniversary.

Manila has inoculated 41 percent of its 800,000-target population, Moreno added.

The city government also inaugurated yesterday its COVID-19 field hospital in Rizal Park.

The 336-bed hospital, constructed out of modular containers, will accommodate mild and moderate COVID-19 cases.