318 healthcare workers under the Quezon City government have completed a comprehensive training on the deployment and management of COVID-19 vaccine which was led by the national government.

“We are grateful for the Department of Health (DOH) for working closely with us in the city. Our collective goal is to make sure that the city is fully ready once the vaccines arrive, and that we will have a seamless vaccine deployment to avoid any untoward incident and vaccine wastage,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte.

The training covers the basics of vaccines, storage and handling, monitoring patients for any adverse events following immunization, setting up vaccination sites, and communicating with communities, among others.

Dra. Esperanza Arias, head of the City Health Department (CHD) said the local government will, in turn, provide similar training for healthcare professionals from 48 private hospitals in the city.

“All health workers who were identified as potential vaccinators, such as doctors and nurses, from these hospitals will receive training and assistance from us. Each batch will undergo 2 days of training to cover all areas of our vaccine deployment plan,” Arias added.

Likewise, individuals who are interested to volunteer as vaccinators will also be screened and trained by the CHD.

“All volunteers are welcome as we need more hands on deck. They may express their interest and contact us via the official Facebook page of the City Health for this purpose,” said Arias.

The local government is ready to kick off its vaccination program once the allocated vaccine for the city has arrived, particularly the 5.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, which is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2021.

###