A total of 200 vials of the Sinovac vaccines were transported by the Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) to the island municipality of Caluya to kick off the inoculation of its frontline health workers and senior citizens on Wednesday.

“The vaccination activity will be conducted for the first time in Caluya,” Irene Dulduco, information officer of the IPHO, said in an interview.

The island municipality of Caluya is in the northernmost part of Antique and is 17 nautical miles away from the Libertad Port.

She said Caluya is the last local government unit (LGU) out of the 18 municipalities in the province to roll out its vaccination for health workers and senior citizens.

However, there is no immediate estimated number of potential vaccinees in the remote island.

The vaccination for frontline health care workers in other municipalities started on March 10.

Dulduco said the vaccination for the seniors in the province of Antique started last April 21 in San Jose de Buenavista followed by 15 other LGUs the next day and then San Remigio on April 26.

To date, 3,901 individuals composed of senior citizens, health workers, and barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs) have availed of their first dose.

Some 3,609 were vaccinated using Sinovac and 292 with AstraZeneca.

She added that 795 health workers, including those in barangays, were administered with the second dose of Sinovac from April 8 up until April 27. (PNA)