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Metro Manila health frontliners first to get COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac: official

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Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/01/12/vaccines.jpg"/><figcaption>A worker performs a quality check in the packaging facility of Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech, developing an experimental coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, during a government-organized media tour in Beijing, China, Sept. 24, 2020.<em> Thomas Peter, Reuters/File </em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Health workers in Metro Manila will be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine from China&#x27;s Sinovac Biotech, an official said on Tuesday, as the Philippines eyed launching its inoculation drive next month. </p><p>The government has secured 25 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, the first <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/11/21/philippines-secures-25-million-covid-19-vaccine-doses-from-chinas-sinovac">50,000 jabs</a> of which will arrive in February, Malacañang said this week. </p><p>Asked who will be the first to get these doses, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said: &quot;Medical frontliners for NCR (National Capital Region).&quot; </p><p>&quot;Iyan ang number one priority natin in terms of region, and in terms of segment of society,&quot; he told reporters in an online briefing.</p><p>(That is the our number one priority in terms of region, and in terms of segment of society.)</p><p>Metro Manila has been the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the country. </p><p>Medical frontliners from other regions are next in line in the priority list, followed by senior citizens in Metro Manila, then the elderly in other regions, said Nograles. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ThdImKGG9Y?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Some <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/25/20/covid-19-vaccination-may-take-up-to-5-years-35m-pinoys-on-priority-list-official">35 million Filipinos</a> are in the government&#x27;s inoculation priority, including soldiers, police officers, essential workers from the government, vulnerable communities, and indigents, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez earlier said. </p><p>These beneficiaries are <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/11/21/hindi-pwede-pihikan-filipinos-cant-choose-which-covid-19-vaccine-theyll-get-from-govt-palace">not allowed to choose</a> which vaccines they would get, Malacañang said on Monday. </p><p>The Sinovac vaccine showed a general efficacy of <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/12/21/sinovacs-vaccine-efficacy-less-than-60pct-in-brazil-trial-report">less than 60 percent</a> in its late-stage trial in Brazil, a news website reported. Officials here earlier said such rate is &quot;acceptable.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/24/20/acceptable-for-chinese-covid-19-vaccine-to-have-50-percent-efficacy-dost">&#x27;Acceptable&#x27; for Chinese COVID-19 vaccine to have 50-percent efficacy- DOST</a></li></ul>

<p>Health workers in Metro Manila will be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech, an official said on Tuesday, as the Philippines eyed launching its inoculation drive next month. </p>

Health workers in Metro Manila will be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech, an official said on Tuesday, as the Philippines eyed launching its inoculation drive next month.

Metro Manila health frontliners first to get COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac: official

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Metro Manila health frontliners first to get COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac: official

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 12, 2021 12:30 PM PHT

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