Medical front-liners (A1 group) in the city of Manila were the first to receive Pfizer Covid-19 jabs on Thursday at the Sta. Ana Hospital.

As of 4 p.m. on the first day of the vaccination rollout of the US-made vaccines, 222 front-liners from the city’s six district hospitals availed of their first doses.

On Tuesday, the city government received 1,170 vials, or equivalent to 7,020 doses, of Pfizer vaccines from the national government.

City Public Information Officer Julius Leonen said one vial contains six doses, or good for six individuals.

Personnel of the six district hospitals observed the initial rollout.

“Nag-o-observe sila dito sa amin para sa mga susunod na araw, sila po ay magbabakuna na rin ng Pfizer para mas marami tayong maakap (They came to observe the process here so that in the coming days, they can also start administering Pfizer vaccines in their hospitals, so we can accommodate more),” Sta. Ana Hospital Director Dr. Grace Padilla said.

She said that Pfizer vaccines have an efficacy rate of 95 percent, the highest among all the other available vaccines, and require the most cautious handling of minus 60 to minus 80 degrees Celsius.

City Health Officer Dr. Arnold Pangan urged other medical front-liners who have not received the vaccine yet not to pass up their chances to be protected.

“Iyong mga hindi pa nagpapabakuna, ito na po yung panahon para magpabakuna na kayo kasi marami na pong mga bakuna ang dumating (Those who have not received the vaccine yet, this is the time to have one because supplies have been delivered),” he said.

About 12,000 individuals belonging to the A2 category (senior citizens) were also vaccinated with their first doses of AstraZeneca jabs, while 1,042 from the A1, A2, and A3 (with comorbidities) priority lists received their second doses of the British-Swedish vaccine at the Ospital ng Maynila. (PNA)