Manila begins Sinovac jabs for seniors

The Manila city government began inoculating its senior citizens with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

This move was permitted after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed the use of Sinovac on individuals aged 60 and above, despite initial concerns about its efficacy in this age group.

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso stated that this vaccination drive for seniors became possible as the city had run out of AstraZeneca vaccine supplies.

The FDA also emphasized that a health status and exposure risk evaluation must precede vaccination for the elderly, ensuring that the benefits outweigh the risks.

As of Wednesday, April 7, 2021, a total of 52,084 individuals, including frontline workers, senior citizens, and those with comorbidities, had been vaccinated in Manila.

Over 262,000 individuals had pre-registered for vaccination on the manilacovid19vaccine.ph website as of Thursday.