ILIGAN CITY (PIA)--The Department of Health (DOH)-10 and City Health Office launched the Pfizer bivalent coronavirus-2019 (Covid-19) vaccination for health workers and senior citizens at the Iligan Medical Center Hospital (IMCH) facility.

Dr. David Mendoza, Chief of the Local Health Support Division at DOH-10, assured the public of the effectiveness of the bivalent vaccine.

"As usual, the vaccine is already there; it has already been proven, and it's safe and effective," said Mendoza.

Additionally, he said that getting vaccinated would significantly reduce the likelihood that an infection would result in a severe and life-threatening case.

Meanwhile, City Health Officer Dr. Glenn Manarpaac  informed the residents of the city that they needed to receive their first and second booster shots as prerequisites before receiving the third booster, completing a total of five doses of the immunization. This bivalent vaccine aims to provide additional defense against the highly infectious wide Omicron virus strains.

Dr. Celina Torres-Jo, the medical director at IMCH, advised individuals, especially health workers and senior citizens, to get immunized to strengthen their immune systems and increase protection.

"Being a health worker, it is essential for us to protect ourselves. Even if we think that COVID-10 is over, it really is not. We still have the risk of getting the infection. It is best for us to have additional protection," she said.

Meanwhile, Vicente Belmonte, former representative of Iligan City, shared his positive experience with the Pfizer vaccination, noting that he has never experienced any negative side effects.

"Ever since na nagpa vaccine ko sa Pfizer, wala gyu’y reaction. Ako mismo never nga aduna gyu’y nahitabo nga kanang ingon nila na side effects (Ever since I got the Pfizer vaccine, I have not had any adverse reactions or side effects)," he said.

More than 1,000 doses of the bivalent vaccine were allocated to the city of Iligan, primarily targeting senior citizens and health workers at the IMCH facility.

Meanwhile, Owell C. Rubio, executive assistant of the Bloodletting and Nutrition Program under the City Mayor's Office, read the message of Mayor Frederick Siao during the launch of bivalent vaccination. He conveyed the mayor's message, emphasizing the importance of continued vaccination as a call to action and highlighting the need for equitable distribution of vaccines and the empowerment of those who are still facing the challenges of the ongoing pandemic. (AAA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)