QC's Belmonte receives Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday received her first dose of the Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine.

In a statement, Belmonte said she secured a slot through their EZConsult website to evaluate the city's registration process.

"When I booked, EZConsult only had available slots at the vaccination site in Ateneo, and this is where I received my first dose of Sinovac at 1 pm this afternoon - the 322,056th dose administered in the city," the QC mayor wrote on Facebook.

Belmonte, who was infected with COVID-19 twice, urged residents in the locality to get inoculated.

She added that the best vaccine is the brand "readily available" for citizens.

"Herd immunity cannot be achieved if we all wait for a preferred vaccine brand based on a notion that it is of a higher quality or more prestigious," said Belmonte.

"All the vaccines approved by the FDA are equally safe and effective," the mayor also said.

The Philippines has 1,184,706 total COVID-19 cases, including 48,917 active cases, 1,115,806 recoveries and 19,983 fatalities. — DVM, GMA News