The province of Bohol is now ready to implement the national government’s vaccination campaign, a health official said Tuesday, two days after the Philippines’ first batch of coronavirus vaccines arrived in Manila.

Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force spokesperson Dr. Yul Lopez said the province has already formed its vaccination team and prepared its facilities ahead of the impending national rollout of the jabs.

“Hipno na ang atong vaccination team dinhi sa Bohol, hipno na pud ang atong mga structure, aron sa pag-abot unya sa bakuna ug pag-implementar sa pagbakuna aduna nay tagsa-tagsa ka tahas aron madali ang pagpamakuna sa matag lungsod dinhi sa Bohol,” Lopez said.

Lopez, who is also the province’s assistant health officer, however did not specify when the province will be getting its allocation of the vaccines.

On Sunday, some 600,000 doses of Sinovac Biotech-made vaccines arrived in Manila, paving the way for the start of the country’s mass inoculation campaign with the jabs of the Chinese pharmaceutical which were donated by China.

According to Lopez, they have already submitted the list of priority recipients of the vaccines to the national government.

As most governments have done, Bohol has also assured that health workers will be first in line to get inoculated.

“Ang apil ani ang mga taw sa matag-hospital, mga personnel sa municipal health office, mga doctor, nurse, midwives ug allied health professionals na nag-atubang sa atong mga COVID cases, apil na ang mga barangay health workers,” Lopez said.

Health authorities in the province have earlier noted that vaccination is not mandatory even for front-line health workers.

Medical workers may opt not to get vaccinated or choose their preferred brand of the jabs once these are available. (A. Doydora)