'Parang fiesta': OFW in UAE inoculated with Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine

ABS-CBN News Posted at Dec 15 2020 02:33 PM MANILA - The inoculation of Filipinos with China's Sinopharm vaccine in the United Arab Emirates was like a "fiesta," a member of the community said Tuesday. Filipino migrant worker Agnes Marelid said she was vaccinated Monday along with her family and that they have yet to experience any side effects. "Kahapon po ang feeling ko parang fiesta dun sa clinic kasi lahat masaya. Yung mga nagpapabakuna at mga frontliners mismo. They’re so happy about it," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo. (Yesterday I felt like I was in a fiesta at the clinic because everyone was happy. Those receiving the vaccines and the frontliners as well.) "And yung mga reaction na na-receive ko sa social media, very positive po ang response na nakuha ko in fact a lot of inquirers as well." (The reaction I received from social media was very positive, in fact a lot inquired.) Many Filipinos volunteered for the vaccine's clinical trial in the UAE, Marelid said. "And then nung inoffer na po sa public, talagang malakas ang confidence rate ng mga Pilipino para mag-try nito, lalo na po ang frontliners, sila po ang nauna," she said. (When it was offered to the public, the confidence rate of Filipinos was very high, especially those who are frontliners as they were prioritized.) "Sa'min naman dito sa mga mamamayan sa UAE, malaki din po ang tiwala namin sa government that they're doing their best to make sure na ma-solve ang problema." (Residents of UAE have a huge trust in government that they're doing their best to solve the problem.) Marelid said she did not wait for a vaccine with a higher efficacy rate as any inoculation with more than 70 percent efficacy rate works. UAE says Sinopharm vaccine has 86% efficacy against COVID-19 "Why do I have to wait for 6 months, 8 months, why do I have to expose myself to risk kung meron naman dyan (if there's a vaccine available)," she said. The overseas Filipino worker says she and her family are due for a second dose after 21 days, similar to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

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